United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
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The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, E.D. Pa.) is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. It originally sat in Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania, and is now located at the James Byrne Courthouse at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia. There are four Eastern District federal courtrooms in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, and Easton.
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(E.D. Pa.)
Location
James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.)
More locations
Allentown
Reading
Easton
Appeals to
Third Circuit
Established
April 20, 1818
Judges
22
Chief Judge
Wendy Beetlestone
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney
David Metcalf
U.S. Marshal
Eric S. Gartner
www.paed.uscourts.gov
The Court's jurisdiction includes nine counties in eastern Pennsylvania: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. The district is a part of the Third Circuit. Appeals are taken to that Circuit, except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit.
The chief judge for the Eastern Pennsylvania District Court is Wendy Beetlestone.
The United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania represents the people in the district. On June 24, 2025, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania appointed David Metcalf as the United States Attorney for the district; this came 120 days after Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Metcalf to serve as interim United States Attorney on March 10, 2025.
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. It was subdivided on April 20, 1818, by 3 Stat. 462, into the Eastern and Western Districts to be headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively. Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880. At the time of its initial subdivision, presiding judge Richard Peters Jr. was reassigned to only the Eastern District.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 11, 1828, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 23, 1829, and received commission the same day.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1939, confirmed by the Senate on March 30, 1939, and received commission on May 4, 1939.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on April 4, 1940, confirmed by the Senate on April 24, 1940, and received commission on April 29, 1940.
Jointly appointed to the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania
Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the Senate on March 8, 1950, and received commission on March 9, 1950.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the Senate on April 4, 1950, and received commission on April 7, 1950.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 12, 1956, confirmed by the Senate on March 28, 1956, and received commission on March 29, 1956.
Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 3, 1964, confirmed by the Senate on March 14, 1964, and received commission on March 17, 1964.
Chief judges
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 as senior 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.
Succession of seats
Seat 1
Seat established on September 24, 1789 by 1 Stat. 73 for the District of Pennsylvania
Seat reassigned to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on April 20, 1818 by 3 Stat. 462
Peters, Jr.
1818–1828
Hopkinson
1828–1842
Randall
1842–1846
Kane
1846–1858
Cadwalader
1858–1879
Butler
1879–1899
McPherson
1899–1912
Thompson
1912–1931
Welsh
1932–1957
Egan
1957–1961
J. M. Davis
1964–1974
Cahn
1974–1998
Savage
2002–2021
Perez
2022–present
Seat 2
Seat established on April 1, 1904 by 33 Stat. 155
Holland
1904–1914
Seat abolished on April 24, 1914 (temporary judgeship expired)
Seat 3
Seat established on February 16, 1914 by 38 Stat. 283 (temporary)
Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 2 on April 24, 1914
Dickenson
1914–1939
Bard
1939–1952
Van Dusen
1955–1967
Hannum
1969–1984
Scirica
1984–1987
Reed, Jr.
1988–1999
Surrick
2000–2011
Quiñones Alejandro
2013–present
Seat 4
Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary)
McKeehan
1923–1925
Seat abolished on March 23, 1925 (temporary judgeship expired)
Seat 5
Seat established on March 3, 1927 by 44 Stat. 1347
Kirkpatrick
1927–1958
Wood
1959–1971
Green
1971–1988
DuBois
1988–2002
Gardner
2002–2017
Wolson
2019–present
Seat 6
Seat established on June 16, 1936 by 49 Stat. 1523 (temporary)
Seat made permanent on June 2, 1938 by 52 Stat. 780
Maris
1936–1938
Kalodner
1939–1946
McGranery
1946–1952
J. W. Lord, Jr.
1954–1971
Bechtle
1972–1993
Rendell
1994–1997
Seat abolished on November 20, 1997 (temporary judgeship expired)
Seat 7
Seat established on May 24, 1940 by 54 Stat. 219 (temporary)
Seat made permanent on December 7, 1944 by 58 Stat. 796
Ganey
1940–1961
Higginbotham, Jr.
1964–1977
Pollak
1978–1991
Robreno
1992–2013
Leeson, Jr.
2014–present
Seat 8
Seat established on July 24, 1946 by 60 Stat. 654 (temporary, concurrent with Middle and Western Districts)
Seat made permanent on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8
Follmer
1946–1955
Seat statutorily assigned solely to the Middle District on June 1, 1955
Seat 9
Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493
Clary
1950–1969
Seat abolished on March 1, 1969 (temporary judgeship expired)
Seat 10
Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493
Grim
1949–1961
Body
1962–1972
Fogel
1973–1978
Giles
1979–2008
Slomsky
2008–2018
Gallagher
2019–present
Seat 11
Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8
Kraft, Jr.
1956–1970
Newcomer
1971–1988
Hutton
1988–2003
Diamond
2004–present
Seat 12
Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80
J. S. Lord III
1961–1982
Katz
1983–1997
McLaughlin
2000–2013
Younge
2019–present
Seat 13
Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80
Freedman
1961–1964
Fullam
1966–1990
Yohn, Jr.
1991–2003
Pratter
2004–2024
Weilheimer
2025–present
Seat 14
Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80
Luongo
1961–1986
Van Antwerpen
1987–2004
Golden
2006–2010
Schmehl
2013–present
Seat 15
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 (temporary)
Seat made permanent on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Weiner
1967–1988
Buckwalter
1990–2003
Stengel
2004–2018
Murphy
2022–present
Seat 16
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 (temporary)
Seat made permanent on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Masterson
1967–1973
McGlynn, Jr.
1974–1990
Bartle III
1991–2011
McHugh, Jr.
2014–present
Seat 17
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 (temporary)
Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 9 on March 1, 1969
Troutman
1967–1982
J. M. Kelly
1983–1996
Kauffman
1997–2008
Jones II
2008–2021
Scott
2023–present
Seat 18
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Becker
1970–1982
O'Neill, Jr.
1983–1996
Tucker
2000–2021
Hodge
2022–present
Seat 19
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Ditter, Jr.
1970–1986
Gawthrop III
1987–1999
Schiller
2000–2012
Smith
2014–2023
Henry
2024–present
Seat 20
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Huyett III
1970–1988
Waldman
1988–2003
Sánchez
2004–present
Seat 21
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
VanArtsdalen
1970–1985
R. F. Kelly
1987–2001
Baylson
2002–2012
Beetlestone
2014–present
Seat 22
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Gorbey
1970–1977
Shapiro
1978–1998
Rufe
2002–2021
Costello
2024–present
Seat 23
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Broderick
1971–1984
Ludwig
1985–1997
L. D. Davis
2002–2017
Marston
2019–present
Seat 24
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Dalzell
1991–2013
Pappert
2014–present
Seat 25
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Padova
1992–2008
Goldberg
2008–2025
vacant
2025–present
Seat 26
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Joyner
1992–2013
Kearney
2014–present
Seat 27
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary)
Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 6 on November 20, 1997
List of United States federal courthouses in Pennsylvania
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