| United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| (M.D. Pa.) | |
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| Location | Sylvia H. Rambo United States Courthouse |
| Appeals to | Third Circuit |
| Established | March 2, 1901 |
| Judges | 6 |
| Chief Judge | Matthew W. Brann |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | John C. Gurganus(acting) |
| U.S. Marshal | William M. Pugh |
| www | |
TheUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (incase citations,M.D. Pa.) is a district level federal court with jurisdiction over approximately one half ofPennsylvania. The court was created in 1901 by subdividing theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The court is under the jurisdiction of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (except forpatent claims and claims against the U.S. government under theTucker Act, which are appealed to theFederal Circuit).
BecauseHarrisburg, the state capital, is located within the district's jurisdiction, most federal suits against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are filed in the Middle District. Similarly, because York County Prison served as the largestImmigration and Naturalization Service (INS) facility in the Northeast, the Middle District also adjudicated many immigration cases. The courts of appeal are now responsible for most judicial review of immigration decisions, bypassing the Middle District and other district courts.
JudgeMatthew W. Brann is the chief judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; William M. Pugh is theUnited States marshal for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. As of January 21, 2025[update], the acting U.S. attorney is John C. Gurganus.
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 courts established by theJudiciary 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 theEastern andWestern Districts to be headquartered inPhiladelphia andPittsburgh, respectively.[1] Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880.[2]
As of January 17, 2025[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 24 | Chief Judge | Matthew W. Brann | Williamsport | 1965 | 2012–present | 2021–present | — | Obama |
| 25 | District Judge | Jennifer P. Wilson | Harrisburg | 1975 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 26 | District Judge | Julia K. Munley | Scranton | 1965 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 27 | District Judge | Karoline Mehalchick | Scranton | 1976 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 28 | District Judge | Joseph F. Saporito Jr. | Wilkes-Barre | 1960 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 29 | District Judge | Keli M. Neary | Harrisburg | 1981 | 2025–present | — | — | Biden |
| 18 | Senior Judge | Yvette Kane | Harrisburg | 1953 | 1998–2018 | 2006–2013 | 2018–present | Clinton |
| 22 | Senior Judge | Robert D. Mariani | Scranton | 1950 | 2011–2022 | — | 2022–present | Obama |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Malachy E. Mannion | Scranton | 1953 | 2012–2024 | — | 2024–present | Obama |
| # | 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 | elevation to3d Cir. |
| 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[Note 1] | 1962 | 1967–1971 | Truman | death |
| 7 | Michael Henry Sheridan | PA | 1912–1976 | 1961–1976 | 1962–1976 | — | Kennedy | death |
| 8 | William Joseph Nealon Jr. | PA | 1923–2018 | 1962–1989[Note 2] | 1976–1989 | 1989–2018 | 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 |
| 11 | Richard Paul Conaboy | PA | 1925–2018 | 1979–1992 | 1989–1992 | 1992–2018 | Carter | death |
| 12 | Sylvia Rambo | PA | 1936–2024 | 1979–2001 | 1992–1999 | 2001–2024 | Carter | retirement |
| 13 | William W. Caldwell | PA | 1925–2019 | 1982–1994 | — | 1994–2019 | Reagan | death |
| 14 | Edwin Michael Kosik | PA | 1925–2019 | 1986–1996 | — | 1996–2019 | Reagan | 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 | elevation to3d Cir. |
| 17 | A. Richard Caputo | PA | 1938–2020 | 1997–2009 | — | 2009–2020 | Clinton | death |
| 19 | James Martin Munley | PA | 1936–2020 | 1998–2009 | — | 2009–2020 | Clinton | death |
| 20 | Christopher C. Conner | PA | 1957–present | 2002–2025 | 2013–2020 | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
| 21 | John E. Jones III | PA | 1955–present | 2002–2021 | 2020–2021 | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known assenior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.
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The people in the district are represented by theUnited States attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Within the Middle District, federal courthouses are located in:
The Court's jurisdiction includes the following counties:
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| Courts of appeals | |
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| Extinct courts | |
| Note | American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to theDistrict of Columbia,Hawaii, orits own Supreme Court. |
