| United States District Court for the Western District of New York | |
|---|---|
| (W.D.N.Y.) | |
| Location | Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse
(Buffalo)
More locations |
| Appeals to | Second Circuit |
| Established | May 12, 1900 |
| Judges | 4 |
| Chief Judge | Elizabeth A. Wolford |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | Trini E. Ross |
| U.S. Marshal | Charles Salina |
| www | |
The United States District Court for the Western District of New York (incase citations, W.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the western parts of Upstate New York.
Appeals are taken to the Second Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The Western District of New York includes the following counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates. Cities within its jurisdiction include Buffalo, Rochester, and Elmira. From 1904 to 1916, the court met at the United States Post Office (Lockport, New York).
The United States government is represented in the district by the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. As of October 11, 2021[update] the U.S. attorney is Trini E. Ross.[1]
As of April 1, 2023[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 16 | Chief Judge | Elizabeth A. Wolford | Rochester | 1966 | 2013–present | 2021–present | — | Obama |
| 17 | District Judge | Lawrence J. Vilardo | Buffalo | 1955 | 2015–present | — | — | Obama |
| 18 | District Judge | John Sinatra | Buffalo | 1972 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 19 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Senior Judge | David G. Larimer | Rochester | 1944 | 1987–2009 | 1996–2002 | 2009–present | Reagan |
| 12 | Senior Judge | Richard Arcara | Buffalo | 1940 | 1988–2015 | 2003–2010 | 2015–present | Reagan |
| 13 | Senior Judge | William M. Skretny | Buffalo | 1945 | 1990–2015 | 2010–2015 | 2015–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 14 | Senior Judge | Charles J. Siragusa | Rochester | 1947 | 1997–2012 | — | 2012–present | Clinton |
| 15 | Senior Judge | Frank P. Geraci Jr. | Rochester | 1951 | 2013–2023 | 2015–2021 | 2023–present | Obama |
| Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Rochester | Frank P. Geraci Jr. | Senior status | April 1, 2023[2] | Meredith Vacca | May 14, 2024 |
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John R. Hazel | NY | 1860–1951 | 1900–1931 | — | — | McKinley | retirement |
| 2 | Simon L. Adler | NY | 1867–1934 | 1927–1934[Note 1] | — | — | Coolidge | death |
| 3 | John Knight | NY | 1871–1955 | 1931–1955[Note 2] | 1948–1955 | — | Hoover | death |
| 4 | Harlan W. Rippey | NY | 1874–1946 | 1934–1936 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | resignation |
| 5 | Harold P. Burke | NY | 1895–1981 | 1937–1981 | 1955–1967 | 1981 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 6 | Justin C. Morgan | NY | 1900–1959 | 1956–1959 | — | — | Eisenhower | death |
| 7 | John Oliver Henderson | NY | 1909–1974 | 1959–1974 | 1967–1974 | — | Eisenhower | death |
| 8 | John Thomas Curtin | NY | 1921–2017 | 1967–1989 | 1974–1989 | 1989–2017 | L. Johnson | death |
| 9 | John T. Elfvin | NY | 1917–2009 | 1974–1987 | — | 1987–2009 | Ford | death |
| 10 | Michael Anthony Telesca | NY | 1929–2020 | 1982–1996 | 1989–1995 | 1996–2020 | Reagan | death |
| Chief Judge | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight | 1948–1955 | ||
| Burke | 1955–1967 | ||
| Henderson | 1967–1974 | ||
| Curtin | 1974–1989 | ||
| Telesca | 1989–1995 | ||
| Larimer | 1996–2002 | ||
| Arcara | 2003–2010 | ||
| Skretny | 2010–2015 | ||
| Geraci | 2015–2021 | ||
| Wolford | 2021–present | ||
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.
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| Note | American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to the District of Columbia, Hawaii, or its own Supreme Court. |
