United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

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United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
(M.D. Pa.)
Seal of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Map
Middle District of Pennsylvania (map).png
Appeals to Third Circuit
Established March 2, 1901
Judges assigned 6
Chief judge Christopher C. Conner
Official site

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, M.D. Pa.) is district level federal court with jurisdiction over approximately one half of Pennsylvania. The court was created in 1901 by subdividing the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The court is under the jurisdiction of 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).

Because Harrisburg, the state capital, is located within the district's jurisdiction, most suits against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are filed in the Middle District. Similarly, because York County Prison served as the largest Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) facility in the Northeast, the Middle District also adjudicated a large number of immigration cases. The courts of appeal are now responsible for most judicial review of immigration decisions, bypassing the Middle District and other district courts.

Judge Christopher C. Conner is the Chief Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Martin John Pane is the United States Marshal for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

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]

Current judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
20 Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner Harrisburg 1957 2002–present 2013–present — G.W. Bush
18 District Judge Yvette Kane Harrisburg 1953 1998–present 2006–2013 — Clinton
21 District Judge John E. Jones III Harrisburg 1955 2002–present — — G.W. Bush
22 District Judge Robert D. Mariani Scranton 1950 2011–present — — Obama
23 District Judge Malachy E. Mannion Scranton 1953 2012–present — — Obama
24 District Judge Matthew W. Brann Williamsport 1965 2012–present — — Obama
8 Senior Judge William Joseph Nealon, Jr. Scranton 1923 1962[3]–1989 1976–1989 1989–present Kennedy
11 Senior Judge Richard Paul Conaboy Scranton 1925 1979–1992 1989–1992 1992–present Carter
12 Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo Harrisburg 1936 1979–2001 1992–1999 2001–present Carter
13 Senior Judge William W. Caldwell Harrisburg 1925 1982–1994 — 1994–present Reagan
14 Senior Judge Edwin Michael Kosik Scranton 1925 1986–1996 — 1996–present Reagan
17 Senior Judge A. Richard Caputo Wilkes-Barre 1938 1997–2009 — 2009–present Clinton
19 Senior Judge James Martin Munley Scranton 1936 1998–2009 — 2009–present Clinton

Former judges

# Judge State Born/Died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Robert W. Archbald PA 1848–1926 1901–1911 — — McKinley reappointment
2 Charles B. Witmer PA 1862–1925 1911–1925 — — Taft death
3 Albert Williams Johnson PA 1872–1957 1925–1945 — — Coolidge resignation
4 Albert Leisenring Watson PA 1876–1960 1929–1955 1948–1955 1955–1960 Hoover death
5 John W. Murphy PA 1902–1962 1946–1962 1955–1962 — Truman death
6 Frederick Voris Follmer PA 1885–1971 1946–1967 1962 1967–1971 Truman death
7 Michael Henry Sheridan PA 1912–1976 1961–1976 1962–1976 — Kennedy death
9 Robert Dixon Herman PA 1911–1990 1969–1981 — 1981–1990 Nixon death
10 Malcolm Muir PA 1914–2011 1970–1984 — 1984–2011 Nixon death
15 James Focht McClure, Jr. PA 1931–2010 1990–2001 — 2001–2010 G.H.W. Bush death
16 Thomas I. Vanaskie PA 1953–present 1994–2010 1999–2006 — Clinton reappointment

Succession of seats

Notable cases

  • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
  • Whitewood v. Wolf This case struck down Pennsylvania's statutory ban on same-sex marriage on May 20, 2014. This was not appealed to the Third Circuit.
  • Lozano et al. v. City of Hazleton, M.D. Pa. No. 3:06-cv-01586-JMM (2006) (affirmed in part by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, No. 07-3531 (September 9, 2010)).[4][5]

List of U.S. Attorneys

The people in the district are represented by the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

  • Samuel McCarrell (1901–1908)
  • Charles B. Witmer (1908–1911)
  • Andrew B. Dunsmore (1911–1914)
  • Rogers L. Burnett (1914–1921)
  • Andrew B. Dunsmore (1921–1934)
  • Frank J. McDonnell (1934–1935)
  • Frederick V. Follmer (1935–1946)
  • Arthur A. Maguire (1946–1953)
  • Joseph C. Kreder (1953)
  • Julius Levy (1953–1957)
  • Robert J. Hourigan (1957–1958)
  • Daniel Jenkins (1958–1961)
  • Bernard J. Brown (1961–1969)
  • John Cottone (1969–1979)
  • Carlon M. O'Malley, Jr. (1979–1982)
  • David Dart Queen (1982–1985)
  • James J. West (1985–1993)
  • Wayne P. Samuelson (1993)
  • David Barasch (1993–2001)
  • Martin Carlson (2001–2002)
  • Tom Marino (2002–2007)
  • Martin Carlson (2007–2009)
  • Dennis Pfannenschmidt (2009–2010)
  • Peter J. Smith (2010–Present)[6]

Courthouses

Within the Middle District, federal courthouses are located in:


  • The Federal Courthouse in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA

  • The Federal Courthouse in Williamsport, Lycoming County, PA

Counties of jurisdiction

The Court's jurisdiction includes the following counties:

See also

Notes

  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 January 15, 1963, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 15, 1963, and received commission on March 27, 1963.
  4. ↑ http://www.judicialwatch.org/amicus-curiae-brief-support-city-hazleton-pa-illegal-immigration-lawsuit Amicus Curiae Brief in Support of City of Hazleton, PA, in Illegal Immigration Lawsuit
  5. ↑ http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/opinions/munley/06v1586-op.pdf Opinion in Lozano v. Hazleton
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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