BETHELHEM, Pa. — U.S. Rep. Susan Wild had some sharp words following the nomination of a Montgomery County judge to the federal bench this week, saying federal officials had overlooked the Lehigh Valley to fill the vacancy.
At the recommendation of U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, D-Pa., President Joe Biden nominated Montgomery County Court Judge Gail Weilheimer as a U.S. District Court judge to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Weilheimer has spent a decade on the Montgomery County bench. The Hofstra University alumna served seven years as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia before entering private practice, most recently as senior counsel at Wisler Pearlstine LLP in Blue Bell. She also served as a township commissioner in Abington Township from 2004 to 2008.
"I hope that due consideration will be given to future vacancies to ensure equal access to justice for all, whether from big cities or smaller communities."U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley
While the president nominates judicial candidates for the U.S. Senate to consider, it is longstanding tradition for the senators representing the district's home state to suggest candidates to the White House. Unsurprisingly, Casey and Fetterman both praised Biden's pick after her nomination Wednesday, highlighting her dedication to justice and the rule of law.
"She is a committed public servant with the skill, character, and integrity to serve the people of the Eastern District. I look forward to voting to confirm her swiftly," Casey said.
"I am particularly proud of her attention and dedication to helping address the needs of Pennsylvanians dealing with mental health challenges who become involved with the justice system," Fetterman said.
Lehigh Valley credentials
But Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, issued an unusual critique of the selection, expressing her disappointment with the process.
While she did not dispute Weilheimer's credentials, she noted that a lawyer from Philadelphia or the suburban collar counties had once again been selected for a federal judicial post. With its two federal courthouses and a deep reservoir of highly qualified attorneys, the Lehigh Valley should have seen one of its own considered for the position, she said.
"Philadelphia does not represent the entire Eastern District, and geographic diversity on the federal bench is critical," Wild said. "As a litigator who often appeared in our federal courts, I always found our local federal judges to be of the highest caliber, with a special understanding of our community's people and places.
"I hope that due consideration will be given to future vacancies to ensure equal access to justice for all, whether from big cities or smaller communities," she said.
Heavy on Philly
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania oversees federal court cases in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties.
Nineteen judges currently sit on the district court's bench, and a review of their backgrounds found that 13 of them primarily practiced law in Philadelphia, either in private practice, as county judges or in prominent government positions. Most were also city residents.
By comparison, the Lehigh Valley has two local residents serving on the district's bench — Joseph F. Leeson Jr., of Bethlehem, and John M. Gallagher, of Emmaus. District Judge Joshua Wolson resides in Philadelphia and has spent his legal career there but graduated from Parkland High School in South Whitehall Township.
The Lehigh Valley's representation had been higher until the death of U.S. District Judge Edward Smith in November. Smith, a former commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Naval Justice School who served 12 years as a Northampton County judge, was a Palmer Township resident.
Biden previously nominated Catherine Henry, a criminal defense attorney who lives in Montgomery County and works in Philadelphia, to succeed Smith in the Easton federal courthouse. A vote on her nomination is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Berks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties each have one local person serving on the court while Bucks and Lancaster counties currently have no residents on the district court's bench, records show.
