United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania 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.Because Harrisburg, the state capital, is located within the district's jurisidiction, 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.

Judges of the District

District Judges

*Thomas I. Vanaskie (Scranton, PA) (1994-present)
*A. Richard Caputo (Scranton, PA) (1997-present)
*James M. Munley (Scranton, PA) (1998-present)
*Yvette Kane (Chief Judge) (Harrisburg, PA) (1998-present)
*Christopher C. Conner (Harrisburg, PA) (2002-present)
*John E. Jones III (Williamsport, PA) (2002-present)

Senior Judges

*William J. Nealon (Scranton)
*William W. Caldwell (Harrisburg)
*Malcolm Muir (Williamsport)
*Edwin M. Kosik (Scranton)
*Richard P. Conaboy (Scranton)
*James F. McClure (Williamsport)
*Sylvia H. Rambo (Harrisburg) Magistrate Judges

*Thomas M. Blewitt (Chief Magistrate Judge) (Scranton)
*Malachy E. Mannion (Wilkes-Barre)
*J. Andrew Smyser (Harrisburg)
*William H. Askey (PT, Williamsport)

Notable cases

*"Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District"
*"Lozano et al. v. City of Hazleton", M.D.Pa. No. 3:06-cv-01586-JMM (2006). [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]

U.S. Attorney

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

Courthouses

Within the Middle District, federal courthouses are located in:
*Harrisburg - Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse
*Scranton - William J. Nealon Federal Building and Courthouse
*Williamsport - Herman T. Schneebeli Federal Building and Courthouse
*Wilkes-Barre - Max Rosenn U.S. Courthouse

Counties of Jurisdiction

The Court's jurisdiction includes the following counties:

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/ Official website]