United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(E.D. Pa.)
Appeals to Third Circuit
Established April 20, 1818
Judges assigned 22
Chief judge J. Curtis Joyner
Official site

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, E.D. Pa.) is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. It originally sat in Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania, and is now located at the James Byrne Courthouse at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia.

The Court's jurisdiction includes Philadelphia, as well as Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties. The district is a part of the Third Circuit, and appeals are taken to that Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Currently the Federal District Courts are undergoing some policy changes, which includes court fees associated with the filing and prosecution of a number of actions. According to the National Bulletin, Vol 60, Page 188 [12 August 2011] these changes are designed to 'eliminate undue litigation while promptly addressing issues brought forward for review by the general public,' and though the fees and costs were not specifically addressed, a potential litigant needs further inquiry prior to filing any type of legal claim.

The people in the district are represented by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. There are Eastern District federal courtrooms in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, and Easton.

The current Chief Judge for the Eastern Pennsylvania District Court is The Honorable Judge J. Curtis Joyner. As of June 2011, the current nominee of President Barack Obama to serve as United States Marshal for the Eastern Pennsylvania District Court is David Blake Webb.

Contents

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] 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.

Current judges

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has 22 authorized judgeships, filled by judges appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. In addition, judges who have taken senior status continue to hear cases. There are currently 36 judges, including both active and senior judges. The Chief Judge of the District is Judge J. Curtis Joyner.

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
70 Chief Judge J. Curtis Joyner Philadelphia 1948 1992–present 2011-present — G.H.W. Bush
67 District Judge Stewart Dalzell Philadelphia 1943 1991–present — — G.H.W. Bush
71 District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno Philadelphia 1945 1992–present — — G.H.W. Bush
75 District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin Philadelphia 1946 2000–present — — Clinton
76 District Judge Petrese B. Tucker Philadelphia 1951 2000–present — — Clinton
77 District Judge Berle M. Schiller Philadelphia 1944 2000–present — — Clinton
79 District Judge Legrome D. Davis Philadelphia 1952 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
80 District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe Philadelphia 1948 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
81 District Judge Michael M. Baylson Philadelphia 1939 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
82 District Judge Timothy J. Savage Philadelphia 1946 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
83 District Judge James Knoll Gardner Allentown 1940 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
84 District Judge Gene E. K. Pratter Philadelphia 1949 2004–present — — G.W. Bush
85 District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel Reading 1952 2004–present — — G.W. Bush
86 District Judge Paul S. Diamond Philadelphia 1953 2004–present — — G.W. Bush
87 District Judge Juan Ramon Sanchez Philadelphia 1955 2004–present — — G.W. Bush
89 District Judge Joel Harvey Slomsky Philadelphia 1946 2008–present — — G.W. Bush
90 District Judge C. Darnell Jones II Philadelphia 1949 2008–present — — G.W. Bush
91 District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg Philadelphia 1959 2008–present — — G.W. Bush
— District Judge (vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
— District Judge (vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
— District Judge (vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
— District Judge (vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
33 Senior District Judge John P. Fullam inactive 1921 1966–1990 1986–1990 1990–present L. Johnson
39 Senior District Judge John William Ditter, Jr. Philadelphia 1921 1970–1986 (none) 1986–present Nixon
41 Senior District Judge Donald West VanArtsdalen Philadelphia 1919 1970–1985 (none) 1985–present Nixon
50 Senior District Judge Louis H. Pollak Philadelphia 1922 1978–1991 (none) 1991–present Carter
51 Senior District Judge Norma Levy Shapiro Philadelphia 1928 1978–1998 (none) 1998–present Carter
53 Senior District Judge Thomas Newman O'Neill, Jr. Philadelphia 1928 1983–1996 (none) 1996–present Reagan
54 Senior District Judge Marvin Katz Philadelphia 1930 1983–1997 (none) 1997–present Reagan
57 Senior District Judge Edmund V. Ludwig Philadelphia 1928 1985–1997 (none) 1997–present Reagan
58 Senior District Judge Robert F. Kelly Philadelphia 1935 1987–2001 (none) 2001–present Reagan
61 Senior District Judge Lowell A. Reed, Jr. Philadelphia 1930 1988–1999 (none) 1999–present Reagan
62 Senior District Judge Jan E. DuBois Philadelphia 1931 1988–2002 (none) 2002–present Reagan
65 Senior District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter Philadelphia 1936 1990–2003 (none) 2003–present G.H.W. Bush
66 Senior District Judge Harvey Bartle III Philadelphia 1941 1991–2011 2006–2011 2011-present G.H.W. Bush
68 Senior District Judge William H. Yohn, Jr. Philadelphia 1935 1991–2003 (none) 2003–present G.H.W. Bush
69 Senior District Judge John R. Padova Philadelphia 1935 1992–2008 (none) 2008–present G.H.W. Bush
72 Senior District Judge Anita B. Brody Philadelphia 1935 1992–2009 (none) 2009–present G.H.W. Bush
78 Senior District Judge Richard Barclay Surrick Philadelphia 1937 2000–2011 (none) 2011-present Clinton

Former judges

Judge Appointed by Began active
service		 Ended active
service		 Ended senior
status		 End reason
Guy K. Bard Franklin D. Roosevelt 01939-12-20 December 20, 1939[3] 01952-07-16 July 16, 1952 – resignation
Louis Charles Bechtle Richard Nixon 01972-03-07 March 7, 1972 01993-04-30 April 30, 1993 02001-06-30 June 30, 2001 retirement
Edward Roy Becker Richard Nixon 01970-10-14 October 14, 1970 01982-01-22 January 22, 1982 – reappointment
Ralph C. Body John F. Kennedy 01962-04-04 April 4, 1962 01972-05-30 May 30, 1972 01973-06-02 June 2, 1973 death
Raymond J. Broderick Richard Nixon 01971-04-23 April 23, 1971 01984-07-01 July 1, 1984 02000-08-06 August 6, 2000 death
William Butler Rutherford B. Hayes 01879-02-19 February 19, 1879 01899-01-31 January 31, 1899 – retirement
John Cadwalader James Buchanan 01858-04-24 April 24, 1858 01879-01-26 January 26, 1879 – death
Edward Norman Cahn Gerald Ford 01974-12-20 December 20, 1974 01998-12-31 December 31, 1998 – retirement
Thomas James Clary Harry S. Truman 01949-10-21 October 21, 1949[4] 01969-03-01 March 1, 1969 01977-08-01 August 1, 1977 death
John Morgan Davis Lyndon B. Johnson 01964-01-07 January 7, 1964[5] 01974-05-06 May 6, 1974 01984-03-08 March 8, 1984 death
Oliver Booth Dickinson Woodrow Wilson 01914-04-28 April 28, 1914 01939-09-16 September 16, 1939 – death
Thomas C. Egan Dwight D. Eisenhower 01957-08-26 August 26, 1957 01961-07-06 July 6, 1961 – death
Herbert Allan Fogel Richard Nixon 01973-05-15 May 15, 1973 01978-05-01 May 1, 1978 – resignation
Frederick Voris Follmer Harry S. Truman 01946-08-07 August 7, 1946 01955-06-01 June 1, 1955 – assignment to another court
Abraham Lincoln Freedman John F. Kennedy 01961-09-22 September 22, 1961 01964-07-06 July 6, 1964 – reappointment
James Cullen Ganey Franklin D. Roosevelt 01940-06-19 June 19, 1940 01961-08-30 August 30, 1961 – reappointment
Robert S. Gawthrop III Ronald Reagan 01987-12-09 December 9, 1987 01999-08-01 August 1, 1999 – death
James Tyrone Giles Jimmy Carter 01979-11-27 November 27, 1979 02008-02-11 February 11, 2008 02008-10-03 October 3, 2008 retirement
Thomas M. Golden George W. Bush 02006-06-13 June 13, 2006 02010-07-31 July 31, 2010 – death
James Henry Gorbey Richard Nixon 01970-12-21 December 21, 1970 01977-10-24 October 24, 1977 – death
Clifford Scott Green Richard Nixon 01971-12-09 December 9, 1971 01988-04-02 April 2, 1988 02007-05-31 May 31, 2007 death
Allan Kuhn Grim Harry S. Truman 01949-10-21 October 21, 1949[6] 01961-11-01 November 1, 1961 01965-12-07 December 7, 1965 death
John Berne Hannum Richard Nixon 01969-05-06 May 6, 1969 01984-05-29 May 29, 1984 02007-04-23 April 23, 2007 death
Aloyisus Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lyndon B. Johnson 01964-01-06 January 6, 1964[5] 01977-11-07 November 7, 1977 – reappointment
James Buchanan Holland Theodore Roosevelt 01904-04-19 April 19, 1904 01914-04-24 April 24, 1914 – death
Joseph Hopkinson John Quincy Adams 01828-10-23 October 23, 1828[7] 01842-01-15 January 15, 1842 – death
Herbert J. Hutton Ronald Reagan 01988-08-12 August 12, 1988 02003-09-06 September 6, 2003 02007-04-08 April 8, 2007 death
Daniel Henry Huyett III Richard Nixon 01970-10-15 October 15, 1970 01988-05-01 May 1, 1988 01998-05-01 May 1, 1998 death
Harry Ellis Kalodner Franklin D. Roosevelt 01938-07-06 July 6, 1938[8] 01946-09-03 September 3, 1946 – reappointment
John K. Kane James K. Polk 01846-06-17 June 17, 1846 01858-02-21 February 21, 1858 – death
Bruce William Kauffman Bill Clinton 01997-11-12 November 12, 1997 02008-02-11 February 11, 2008 02009-07-20 July 20, 2009 retirement
James McGirr Kelly Ronald Reagan 01983-08-06 August 6, 1983 01996-03-31 March 31, 1996 02005-03-05 March 5, 2005 death
William Huntington Kirkpatrick Calvin Coolidge 01927-03-03 March 3, 1927 01958-05-01 May 1, 1958 01970-11-28 November 28, 1970 death
Charles William Kraft, Jr. Dwight D. Eisenhower 01955-08-12 August 12, 1955[9] 01970-11-11 November 11, 1970 02002-01-18 January 18, 2002 death
John Whitaker Lord, Jr. Dwight D. Eisenhower 01954-05-20 May 20, 1954 01971-12-19 December 19, 1971 01972-05-16 May 16, 1972 death
Joseph Simon Lord III John F. Kennedy 01961-09-15 September 15, 1961 01982-07-01 July 1, 1982 01991-04-23 April 23, 1991 death
Alfred Leopold Luongo John F. Kennedy 01961-09-22 September 22, 1961 01986-07-19 July 19, 1986 – death
Albert Branson Maris Franklin D. Roosevelt 01936-06-22 June 22, 1936 01938-06-16 June 16, 1938 – reappointment
Thomas Ambrose Masterson Lyndon B. Johnson 01967-06-15 June 15, 1967 01973-11-16 November 16, 1973 – resignation
Joseph Leo McGlynn, Jr. Richard Nixon 01974-03-08 March 8, 1974 01990-02-14 February 14, 1990 01999-02-23 February 23, 1999 death
James P. McGranery Harry S. Truman 01946-08-07 August 7, 1946 01952-05-26 May 26, 1952 – resignation
Charles Louis McKeehan Warren G. Harding 01923-02-09 February 9, 1923 01925-03-23 March 23, 1925 – death
John Bayard McPherson William McKinley 01899-03-02 March 2, 1899 01912-04-08 April 8, 1912 – reappointment
Clarence Charles Newcomer Richard Nixon 01971-11-30 November 30, 1971 01988-01-19 January 19, 1988 02005-08-22 August 22, 2005 death
Richard Peters, Jr. George Washington 01792-01-12 January 12, 1792 01828-08-22 August 22, 1828 – death
Archibald Randall John Tyler 01842-03-08 March 8, 1842 01846-06-08 June 8, 1846 – death
Marjorie Rendell Bill Clinton 01994-02-11 February 11, 1994 01997-11-20 November 20, 1997 – reappointment
Anthony Joseph Scirica Ronald Reagan 01984-09-18 September 18, 1984 01987-09-11 September 11, 1987 – reappointment
Joseph Whitaker Thompson William Howard Taft 01912-07-16 July 16, 1912 01931-02-03 February 3, 1931 – reappointment
Emanuel Mac Troutman Lyndon B. Johnson 01967-06-16 June 16, 1967 01982-09-01 September 1, 1982 02004-10-08 October 8, 2004 death
Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen Ronald Reagan 01987-12-09 December 9, 1987 02004-06-01 June 1, 2004 – reappointment
Francis Lund Van Dusen Dwight D. Eisenhower 01955-08-01 August 1, 1955 01967-06-26 June 26, 1967 – reappointment
Jay Waldman Ronald Reagan 01988-10-17 October 17, 1988 02003-05-30 May 30, 2003 – death
Charles R. Weiner Lyndon B. Johnson 01967-06-14 June 14, 1967 01988-12-31 December 31, 1988 02005-11-09 November 9, 2005 death
George Austin Welsh Herbert Hoover 01932-05-20 May 20, 1932 01957-08-29 August 29, 1957 01970-10-22 October 22, 1970 death
Harold Kenneth Wood Dwight D. Eisenhower 01959-09-10 September 10, 1959 01971-06-24 June 24, 1971 01972-12-17 December 17, 1972 death

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 388.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. District Courts of Pennsylvania, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on April 4, 1940, confirmed by the United States Senate on April 24, 1940, and received commission on April 29, 1940.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 3, 1964, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 14, 1964, and received commission on March 17, 1964.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on April 4, 1950, and received commission on April 7, 1950.
  7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 11, 1828, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 23, 1829, and received commission on February 23, 1829.
  8. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1939, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 30, 1939, and received commission on May 4, 1939.
  9. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 12, 1956, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 28, 1956, and received commission on March 29, 1956.

See also

External links