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Karoline Mehalchick

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Karoline Mehalchick
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Tenure
2024 - Present
Years in position
2
Predecessor:John E. Jones III (Nonpartisan)
Prior offices:
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Years in office: 2013 - 2024
Education
Bachelor's
Pennsylvania State University, 1998
Law
Tulane University School of Law, 2001
Contact

Karoline Mehalchick is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated to the court by PresidentJoe Biden (D) on July 11, 2023, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on January 31, 2024, by a vote of 50-49.[1][2] Mehalchick was one of 235Article III judges nominated by PresidentJoe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed byJoe Biden,click here.

TheUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.

Prior to joining the court, Karoline Mehalchick was afederal magistrate judge on theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. She was first appointed to the court in 2013.[3][4][5][6]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (2024-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On July 11, 2023, PresidentJoe Biden (D) nominated Mehalchick to theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.[2] Mehalchick received commission on February 5, 2024.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Karoline Mehalchick
Court:United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Progress
Confirmed 204 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: July 11, 2023
ApprovedAABA Rating: Qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: July 26, 2023
Hearing Transcript:Hearing Transcript
QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: September 14, 2023 
ApprovedAConfirmed: January 31, 2024
ApprovedAVote: 50-49


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Mehalchick by a vote of 50-49 on January 31, 2024.[7] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

Mehalchick confirmation vote (January 31, 2024)
PartyYeaNayNo vote
Electiondot.pngDemocratic4710
Ends.pngRepublican0481
Grey.png Independent300
Total50[8]491

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Mehalchick's nomination on July 26, 2023. Mehalchick was reported to the full Senate on September 14, 2023, after a 11-10 committee vote.[9].

Nomination

On June 28, 2023, PresidentJoe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Mehalchick to theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.[6] The president officially nominated Mehalchick on July 11, 2023.[2]Click here for a list of other nominees who have been nominated by PresidentJoe Biden.

TheAmerican Bar Association (ABA) rated Mehalchickqualified.[10] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

Mehalchick was nominated to replace JudgeJohn E. Jones III, who retired on August 1, 2021.[5]

Biography

Education

Mehalchick received her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from the Tulane University School of Law.[11]

Career

About the court

Middle District of Pennsylvania
Third Circuit
PA-MD.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 6
Judges: 6
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Matthew Brann
Active judges:
Matthew Brann,Karoline Mehalchick,Julia Munley,Keli Neary,Jennifer Philpott Wilson,Joseph Saporito

Senior judges:
Yvette Kane,Malachy Mannion,Robert David Mariani


TheUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is one of 94United States district courts. The court operates out ofScranton, Pennsylvania. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit based in downtownPhiladelphia at the James Byrne Courthouse.

Jurisdiction

Pennsylvania counties (click for larger map)

The Middle District of Pennsylvania hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The geographic jurisdiction of the Middle District of Pennsylvania consists of approximately one-half ofPennsylvania. The following counties form the Middle District:

To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links

Officeholder

United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

  • Website

    • Footnotes

    1. ↑1.01.1The Federal Judicial Center, "Mehalchick, Karoline," accessed January 31, 2024
    2. ↑2.02.12.2Congress.gov, "PN816 — Karoline Mehalchick — The Judiciary," accessed July 11, 2023
    3. ↑United States Courts, The Third Branch: Judicial Milestones 8/20/2013
    4. ↑United States District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, Press Release: Standing Order 13-7 IN RE: The Appointment of Karoline Mehalchick as Full-Time United States Magistrate Judge," July 15, 2013
    5. ↑5.05.15.2Thetimes-tribune.com, "Scranton attorney appointed federal magistrate judge," July 16, 2013Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content
    6. ↑6.06.1The White House, "President Biden Names Thirty-Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees and One New Nominee to Serve as U.S. Attorney," June 28, 2023
    7. ↑Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs namedcong2
    8. ↑Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.
    9. ↑Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 14, 2023," accessed September 14, 2023
    10. ↑[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/government_affairs_office/webratingchart-118.pdfAmerican Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ONTHEFEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed July 25, 2023]
    11. ↑OPRLaw.com, Karoline Mehalchick biography

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    PA-MD.gif
    v • e
    Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
    Active judges

    Chief Judge: Matthew Brann  •  Karoline Mehalchick  •  Julia Munley  •  Joseph Saporito  •  Jennifer Philpott Wilson  •  Keli Neary

    Senior judges

    Yvette Kane  •  Malachy Mannion  •  Robert David Mariani  •  

    Magistrate judgesMartin C. Carlson  •  Susan E. Schwab  •  
    Former Article III judges

    Thomas Vanaskie  •  Richard Caputo  •  James Munley  •  Christopher Conner  •  John E. Jones  •  William Nealon  •  Richard Conaboy  •  Sylvia Rambo  •  William Caldwell  •  Edwin Kosik  •  James McClure  •  Robert Wodrow Archbald  •  Charles Witmer  •  Albert Williams Johnson  •  Albert Leisenring Watson  •  Frederick Follmer  •  Robert Herman  •  John William Murphy  •  Michael Sheridan  •  

    Former Chief judges

    Thomas Vanaskie  •  William Nealon  •  Richard Conaboy  •  Sylvia Rambo  •  Albert Leisenring Watson  •  Frederick Follmer  •  John William Murphy  •  Michael Sheridan  •  


    Joe Biden
    v • e
    Federal judges nominated to Article III courts byJoe Biden
    Commissioned in 2025

    Keli Neary

    Commissioned in 2024

    John Kazen •John Russell •Margaret Garnett •Cristal Brisco •Jacquelyn Austin •Gretchen Hess Lund •Micah Smith •Joshua Kolar •Karoline Mehalchick •Kirk Sherriff •Lisa Wang •David Leibowitz •Jacqueline Becerra •Julie Sneed •Melissa Damian •Kelly H. Rankin •Nicole Berner •Sunil Harjani •Leon Schydlower •Ernesto Gonzalez •Susan Bazis •Robert White •Ann Marie McIff Allen •Eumi Lee •Krissa Lanham •Eric Schulte •Camela Theeler •Angela Martinez •Jasmine Yoon •Nancy Maldonado •Meredith Vacca •Georgia Alexakis •Joseph Saporito •Amy Baggio •Stacey Neumann •Mary Kay Lanthier •Adam Abelson •Laura Provinzino •Mary Kay Costello •Dena Coggins •Kevin Ritz •Shanlyn A. S. Park •Byron Conway •Jeannette Vargas •Michelle Williams Court •Jonathan E. Hawley •April Perry •Mustafa Kasubhai •Sarah Russell •Amir Ali •Rebecca Pennell •Anthony Brindisi •Elizabeth Coombe •Cynthia Valenzuela •Anne Hwang •Brian Murphy •Noël Wise •Sanket Bulsara •Tiffany Johnson •Sparkle Sooknanan •Gail Weilheimer •Embry Kidd •Melissa DuBose •Sharad Desai •Serena R. Murillo •Benjamin Cheeks •Sarah Davenport

    Commissioned in 2023Kai Scott •Tamika Montgomery-Reeves •Margaret R. Guzman •Daniel Calabretta •Matthew Garcia •DeAndrea G. Benjamin •Cindy Chung •Adrienne Nelson •Lindsay Jenkins •Gina Méndez-Miró •Araceli Martínez-Olguín •Jamar Walker •Ana Reyes •Jamal Whitehead •Gordon Gallagher •Matthew Brookman•Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons •Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler •Jonathan Grey•Colleen Lawless •Arun Subramanian •Jessica Clarke •Robert Kirsch •Michael Farbiarz •Anthony Johnstone •Orelia Merchant •Wesley Hsu •Bradley Garcia •LaShonda A. Hunt •Nancy Gbana Abudu •Amanda Brailsford •Darrel Papillion •Jeremy Daniel •Hernan D. Vera •Julie Rikelman •Nusrat Choudhury •P. Casey Pitts •Myong Joun •Kymberly Evanson •Tiffany Cartwright •Rachel Bloomekatz •Natasha Merle •Dale Ho •Philip Hadji •Rita Lin •Brendan Hurson •Vernon D. Oliver •Matthew Maddox •Julia Munley •Brandy McMillion •Susan DeClercq •Julia Kobick •Ramon Reyes, Jr. •Ana de Alba •Kenly Kiya Kato •Mónica Ramírez Almadani •Jeffrey M. Bryan •Jamel Semper •Irma Ramirez •Richard Federico •Loren AliKhan •Brandon Long •Jerry Edwards Jr.•Sara Hill •Joseph Laroski
    Commissioned in 2022

    David Herrera Urias •Gabriel Sanchez •Holly Thomas •Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong •David Ruiz •Charles Fleming •Bridget Brennan •Leonard Stark •Alison J. Nathan •John Chun •Julie Rubin •Jacqueline Scott Corley •Ruth Bermudez Montenegro •Victoria Calvert •Georgette Castner •Anne Traum •Cristina Silva •Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) •Sarah Geraghty •Hector Gonzalez •Fred Slaughter •Jennifer Rochon •Robert Huie •Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci •Jeffery P. Hopkins

    Commissioned in 2021

    Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi •Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley •Florence Pan •Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn •Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams •Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens •Michael Nachmanoff •Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston •Stephen Locher •Charlotte Sweeney •Nina Nin-Yuen Wang •Arianna Freeman •Jerry Blackwell