Marilyn J. Horan
Marilyn Jean Horan is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated to the court by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on December 20, 2017, and confirmed by theU.S. Senate on September 6, 2018, by a voice vote.[1] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.
TheUnited States District Court for the Western 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 her appointment to the Western District of Pennsylvania, Horan was a judge on theButler County Court of Common Pleas inPennsylvania.[2]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (2018-present)
Horan was nominated to theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on December 20, 2017. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Horan on September 6, 2018, by a voice vote.[3] She received commission on September 19.[4] To read more about the federal nomination process,click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Marilyn J. Horan |
| Court:United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 260 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: December 20, 2017 |
| AABA Rating:Unanimously Well Qualified |
| Questionnaire:Questionnaire |
| AHearing: February 15, 2018 |
| QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| AReported: February 15, 2018 |
| AConfirmed: September 6, 2018 |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Horan on September 6, 2018, by voice vote.[5]
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Horan had her hearing before theSenate Judiciary Committee on February 15, 2018. The committee voted to advance Horan's nomination to the full Senate on that same day.[6]
Nomination
Horan was nominated to replace JudgeGary Lancaster, who passed away in April 2013.
TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Horanwell quallified for the position.[7] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (2015)
PresidentBarack Obama previously nominated Horan to the Western District of Pennsylvania July 30, 2015.[8] On January 3, 2017, Horan's nomination was returned to President Obama at thesine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.[9]
Horan was nominated to beArticle III federal judge July 30, 2015. On the nomination:
| “ | Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity. Their records are distinguished and impressive, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the United States District Court bench. I am honored to nominate them today.[8][10] | ” |
TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Horanwell qualified for the nomination.[11]
Horan's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held December 9, 2015.[12] Her nomination was reported to the fullSenate January 28, 2016, on a voice vote.[13]
On January 3, 2017, Horan's nomination was returned to President Obama at thesine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.[9]
Butler County Court of Common Pleas
1996 Election
Pennsylvania heldlocal judicial elections on November 7, 2017. The filing deadline for judges running forretention was September 8, 2017. For theCourts of Common Pleas, after a judge has won an initial partisan election, subsequent terms are attained through retention elections.[14][15]
| Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Marilyn J. Horan Retention, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Marilyn J. Horan | 69.43% | |
| Source:Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Unofficial Returns," accessed November 8, 2017 | ||
Selection method
- See also:Partisan election of judges
The439 judges of thecourt of common pleas are elected to 10-year terms inpartisan elections. Candidates may cross-file with both political parties for the partisan primaries, which are followed by general elections where the primary winners from each party compete.[16][17] Judges must run in yes-noretention elections if they wish to continue serving after their first term. A separate part of the ballot is designated for these elections, and judges' names appear without respect to party affiliation.[16][18]
- The president judge of eachPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas is chosen by either peer vote or seniority, depending on the size of the court. Statewide, all courts composed of more than seven individuals must select their chief judge by peer vote. Those with seven or fewer members select their chief by seniority.[16][19]
Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must:[16]
- have state residence for at least one year;
- be a district resident for at least one year (for common pleas judges);
- be a member of the state bar; and
- be under the age of 75.
While retirement at 75 ismandatory, judges may apply forsenior judge status. Senior judges may serve as such until the last day of the calendar year in which they turn 78.[19]
Education
Horan earned her B.S.,magna cum laude, from Pennsylvania State University in 1976 and herJ.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979.[20][1]
Professional career
- 2018-present: Judge,Western District of Pennsylvania
- 1996-2018: Judge,Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania
- 1979-1996: Attorney and partner, Murrin, Taylor, Flach and Horan.[1][8]
About the court
The Western 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 Western District of Pennsylvania consists of all the followingcounties in the western part of the state ofPennsylvania.
- Allegheny County
- Armstrong County
- Beaver County
- Bedford County
- Blair County
- Butler County
- Cambria County
- Clarion County
- Clearfield County
- Crawford County
- Elk County
- Erie County
- Fayette County
- Forest County
- Greene County
- Indiana County
- Jefferson County
- Lawrence County
- McKean County
- Mercer County
- Somerset County
- Venango County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Westmoreland County
To read opinions published by this court,click here.
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
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
- Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
- Butler County, Pennsylvania
- Courts in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2017
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania |
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
- Pennsylvania Courts, "Butler County Courts"
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.2Federal Judicial Center, "Horan, Marilyn Jean," accessed September 20, 2018
- ↑Pennsylvania Courts, "Common Pleas Judges," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑Congress.gov "PN1334 — Marilyn Jean Horan — The Judiciary," accessed April 22, 2020
- ↑Congress.gov "PN1334 — Marilyn Jean Horan — The Judiciary," accessed April 22, 2020
- ↑Congress.gov "PN1334 — Marilyn Jean Horan — The Judiciary," accessed April 22, 2020
- ↑Congress.gov "PN1334 — Marilyn Jean Horan — The Judiciary," accessed April 22, 2020
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed April 22, 2020
- ↑8.08.18.2The White House, "President Obama Nominates Seven to Serve on the United States District Courts," July 30, 2015
- ↑9.09.1United States Congress, "PN 754 — Marilyn Jean Horan — The Judiciary," accessed January 3, 2017
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III JUDICIAL NOMINEES, 114th Congress," accessed December 15, 2015
- ↑Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," December 9, 2015
- ↑Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 28, 2016," January 28, 2016
- ↑Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑Pennsylvania Department of State, "Retention Listing," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑16.016.116.216.3American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Pennsylvania," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑The Morning Call, "Ban Cross-filing As One Step," January 24, 1985
- ↑The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "In Re: Nomination Papers of Marakay Rogers, Christina Valente and Carl J. Romanelli," November 7, 2006
- ↑19.019.1The Pennsylvania Code, "Chapter 7. Assignment of Judges," accessed September 3, 2014
- ↑Cite error: Invalid
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania 2018-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | Butler County Court of Common Pleas -2018 | Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | Chief Judge: Cathy Bissoon • Susan Baxter • Robert J. Colville • Marilyn J. Horan • Mark Raymond Hornak • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Stephanie Haines • William Shaw Stickman • Scott Hardy • Christy Wiegand | ||
| Senior judges | |||
| Magistrate judges | Keith Pesto • Maureen Kelly • Patricia Dodge • Richard Lanzillo • Kezia Taylor • Christopher Brown (Pennsylvania) • | ||
| Former Article III judges | William Knox • Jonathan Hoge Walker • William Wilkins • Thomas Irwin • Wilson McCandless • Winthrop Welles Ketcham • Marcus Wilson Acheson • Joseph Weis (Third Circuit) • Brooks Smith • Thomas Hardiman • Joseph Buffington • Timothy Lewis (Pennsylvania) • James Hay Reed • Nathaniel Ewing • James Scott Young • Charles Prentiss Orr • W. H. Seward Thomson • Robert Murray Gibson • Alan Bloch • Maurice Cohill • Gustave Diamond • William Standish • Gary Lancaster • Terrence McVerry • Sean McLaughlin • Frederic Palen Schoonmaker • Nelson McVicar • Frederick Follmer • Carol Mansmann • Owen Burns • Robert Cindrich • Edward Dumbauld • Wallace Gourley • Rabe Marsh • Barron McCune • John McIlvaine • Glenn Mencer • John Lester Miller • Louis Rosenberg • Ralph Scalera • Daniel Snyder • Herbert Sorg • William Stewart (Pennsylvania) • Hubert Teitelbaum • Gerald Weber • Joseph Willson • Donald Ziegler • Donald Lee • Paul Simmons • Peter Phipps • | ||
| Former Chief judges | Robert Murray Gibson • Donetta Ambrose • Maurice Cohill • Gustave Diamond • Gary Lancaster • Nelson McVicar • Wallace Gourley • Rabe Marsh • Herbert Sorg • Hubert Teitelbaum • Gerald Weber • Donald Ziegler • Mark Raymond Hornak • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
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Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:Eastern District of Pennsylvania,Middle District of Pennsylvania,Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:Eastern District of Pennsylvania,Middle District of Pennsylvania,Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania•Pennsylvania Superior Court•Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court•Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas•Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania •Pennsylvania judicial elections •Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- 2017 general election (winner)
- 2017 incumbent
- Appointed by Donald Trump
- Butler County Court of Common Pleas candidate, 2017
- Confirmed 2018
- Federal Article III judges
- Federal judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- Federal judiciary nominee, December 2017
- Former Pennsylvania local judge
- Former local court judge
- Local court candidates
- Local judicial candidate, 2017
- Nonpartisan
- Pennsylvania
- UL profile
- Federal judge, Western District of Pennsylvania
- Former Pennsylvania common pleas court judges, Butler County
- Pennsylvania local judicial candidate, 2017
- Pennsylvania common pleas court candidate, 2017
- 2017 retention election (winner)
- Federal judiciary nominee, July 2015
- Returned nominee 2017
- Former Federal court nominees
