United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania

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United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
(W.D. Pa.)
Seal of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Appeals to Third Circuit
Established April 20, 1818
Judges assigned 10
Chief judge Joy Flowers Conti
Official site
Federal Courthouse, Erie, Pennsylvania
Federal Courthouse, Pittsburgh

The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. The United States Marshal is Steven Richard Frank. Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

History

The United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1][2] It was subdivided on April 20, 1818, by 3 Stat. 462,[1][2] into the Eastern and Western Districts to be headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively.[1] The court began its first session on December 7, 1818 at the Old County Courthouse in Pittsburgh. [1] Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880.[2] At the time of its initial subdivision, presiding judge Richard Peters, Jr. was reassigned to only the Eastern District. This made it possible for President James Monroe to appoint Jonathan Hoge Walker as the first judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The Erie courthouse and division was split from Pittsburgh for initial actions in January 1867, with the Johnstown courthouse and division being split from Pittsburgh for initial actions in 1989.[2]

Current judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
49 Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti Pittsburgh 1948 2002–present 2013–present — G.W. Bush
50 District Judge David S. Cercone Pittsburgh 1952 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
52 District Judge Arthur J. Schwab Pittsburgh 1946 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
53 District Judge Kim R. Gibson Johnstown 1948 2003–present — — G.W. Bush
55 District Judge Nora Barry Fischer Pittsburgh 1951 2007–present — — G.W. Bush
56 District Judge Cathy Bissoon Pittsburgh 1968 2011–present — — Obama
57 District Judge Mark R. Hornak Pittsburgh 1956 2011–present — — Obama
58 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
59 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
60 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
34 Senior Judge Maurice Blanchard Cohill Jr. Erie / Pittsburgh 1929 1976–1994 1985–1992 1994–present Ford
36 Senior Judge Gustave Diamond Pittsburgh 1928 1978–1994 1992–1994 1994–present Carter
38 Senior Judge Alan Neil Bloch Pittsburgh 1932 1979–1997 — 1997–present Carter
45 Senior Judge Donetta W. Ambrose Pittsburgh 1945 1993–2010 2002–2009 2010–present Clinton
51 Senior Judge Terrence F. McVerry Pittsburgh 1943 2002–2013 — 2013–present G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
1 Gary L. Lancaster Death April 24, 2013 Robert J. Colville July 30, 2015
5 Sean J. McLaughlin Resignation August 16, 2013 Susan Paradise Baxter July 30, 2015
2 Terrence F. McVerry Senior Status September 30, 2013 Marilyn Jean Horan July 30, 2015

Former judges

# Judge State Born/Died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Jonathan Hoge Walker PA 1754–1824 1818–1824 — — Monroe death
2 William Wilkins PA 1779–1865 1824–1831 — — Monroe resignation
3 Thomas Irwin PA 1785–1870 1831–1859[3] — — Jackson resignation
4 Wilson McCandless PA 1810–1882 1859–1876 — — Buchanan retirement
5 Winthrop Welles Ketcham PA 1820–1879 1876–1879 — — Grant death
6 Marcus Wilson Acheson PA 1828–1906 1880–1891 — — Hayes reappointment
7 James Hay Reed PA 1853–1927 1891–1892 — — B. Harrison resignation
8 Joseph Buffington PA 1855–1947 1892–1906 — — B. Harrison reappointment
9 Nathaniel Ewing PA 1848–1914 1906–1908[4] — — T. Roosevelt resignation
10 James Scott Young PA 1848–1914 1908–1914 — — T. Roosevelt death
11 Charles Prentiss Orr PA 1858–1922 1909–1922 — — Taft death
12 W. H. Seward Thomson PA 1856–1932 1914–1928 — 1928–1932 Wilson death
13 Robert Murray Gibson PA 1869–1949 1922–1949 1948–1949 1949–1949 Harding death
14 Frederic Palen Schoonmaker PA 1870–1945 1922–1945 — — Harding death
15 Nelson McVicar PA 1871–1960 1928–1951[5] 1949–1951 1951–1960 Coolidge death
16 Wallace Samuel Gourley PA 1904–1976 1945–1969 1951–1969 1969–1976 Truman death
17 Frederick Voris Follmer PA 1885–1971 1946–1955 — — Truman reassignment
18 Owen McIntosh Burns PA 1892–1952 1949–1952[6] — — Truman death
19 Rabe Ferguson Marsh, Jr. PA 1905–1993 1950–1977 1969–1975 1977–1993 Truman death
20 William Alvah Stewart PA 1903–1953 1951–1953 — — Truman death
21 Joseph Putnam Willson PA 1902–1998 1953–1968 — 1968–1998 Eisenhower death
22 John Lester Miller PA 1901–1978 1954–1971 — 1971–1978 Eisenhower death
23 John Wilson McIlvaine PA 1907–1963 1955–1963 — — Eisenhower death
24 Herbert Peter Sorg PA 1911–1979 1955–1976 1975–1976 1976–1979 Eisenhower death
25 Edward Dumbauld PA 1905–1997 1961–1976 — 1976–1997 Kennedy death
26 Louis Rosenberg PA 1898–1999 1961–1976[7] — 1976–1999 Kennedy death
27 Gerald Joseph Weber PA 1914–1989 1964–1988 1976–1982 1988–1989 L. Johnson death
28 Joseph Francis Weis Jr. PA 1923–2014 1970–1973 — — Nixon reappointment
29 William W. Knox PA 1911–1981 1970–1981 — — Nixon death
30 Hubert Irving Teitelbaum PA 1915–1995 1970–1985 1982–1985 1985–1995 Nixon death
31 Barron Patterson McCune PA 1915–2008 1970–1985 — 1985–2008 Nixon death
32 Ralph Francis Scalera PA 1930–2011 1971–1976 — — Nixon resignation
33 Daniel John Snyder, Jr. PA 1916–1980 1973–1980 — — Nixon death
35 Paul Allen Simmons PA 1921–2014 1978–1990 — 1990–2014 Carter death
37 Donald Emil Ziegler PA 1936–present 1978–2001 1994–2001 2001–2003 Carter retirement
39 Carol Los Mansmann PA 1942–2002 1982–1985 — — Reagan reappointment
40 Glenn Everell Mencer PA 1925–2007 1982–1994 — 1994–2007 Reagan death
41 William Lloyd Standish PA 1930–2015 1987–2002 — 2002–2015 Reagan death
42 D. Brooks Smith PA 1951–present 1988–2002 2001–2002 — Reagan reappointment
43 Donald J. Lee PA 1927–2011 1990–2000 — 2000–2011 G.H.W. Bush death
44 Timothy K. Lewis PA 1954–present 1991–1992 — — G.H.W. Bush reappointment
46 Gary L. Lancaster PA 1949–2013 1993–2013 2009–2013 — Clinton death
47 Robert J. Cindrich PA 1943–present 1994–2004 — — Clinton resignation
48 Sean J. McLaughlin PA 1955–present 1994–2013 2013–2013 — Clinton resignation
54 Thomas Hardiman PA 1965–present 2003–2007 — — G.W. Bush reappointment

Succession of seats

United States Attorneys

[3]

See also

Notes

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External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 388.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 U.S. District Courts of Pennsylvania, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 7, 1831, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 21, 1832, and received commission on March 21, 1832.
  4. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1906, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 11, 1906, and received commission on December 11, 1906.
  5. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1928, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 1928, and received commission on December 17, 1928.
  6. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 8, 1950, and received commission on March 9, 1950.
  7. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on July 10, 1962, and received commission on July 12, 1962.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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