History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

19 judges have served since Jun 5, 1900. Now: Meredith Anne Vacca DJohn Leonard Sinatra, Jr. RLawrence Joseph Vilardo DElizabeth Ann Wolford D.

Judges
19
11 R · 8 D
Longest tenure
44 years
Harold P. Burke
Current
2.2 years
Meredith Anne Vacca, since Aug 1, 2024
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-new-yorkEvery holder, newest first
+19
1900192019401960198020002020John Raymond Hazel · 1900-06-05 – 1931-03-05 · RepublicanJohn Knight · 1932-01-09 – 1955-06-15 · RepublicanJustin Colfax Morgan · 1956-03-08 – 1959-05-24 · RepublicanJohn Oliver Henderson · 1959-09-21 – 1974-02-19 · RepublicanJohn Thomas Elfvin · 1974-12-21 – 1987-07-01 · RepublicanDavid G. Larimer · 1987-11-06 – 2009-03-03 · RepublicanFrank Paul Geraci, Jr. · 2013-01-02 – 2023-04-01 · DemocratMeredith Anne Vacca · 2024-08-01 – present · DemocratSimon Louis Adler · 1928-01-16 – 1934-05-23 · RepublicanHarlan Watson Rippey · 1934-06-18 – 1936-12-31 · DemocratHarold P. Burke · 1937-06-18 – 1981-06-15 · DemocratMichael Anthony Telesca · 1982-04-21 – 1996-05-03 · RepublicanCharles J. Siragusa · 1997-11-05 – 2012-12-15 · DemocratElizabeth Ann Wolford · 2013-12-17 – present · DemocratJohn Thomas Curtin · 1967-12-14 – 1989-07-01 · DemocratWilliam M. Skretny · 1990-08-07 – 2015-03-08 · RepublicanLawrence Joseph Vilardo · 2015-10-29 – present · DemocratRichard Joseph Arcara · 1988-02-22 – 2015-01-03 · RepublicanJohn Leonard Sinatra, Jr. · 2019-12-05 – present · Republican
Meredith Anne Vacca D
Aug 1, 2024 – present · 2.2 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 50–41
John Leonard Sinatra, Jr. R
Dec 5, 2019 – present · 6.9 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 75–18
Lawrence Joseph Vilardo D
Oct 29, 2015 – present · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 88–0
Elizabeth Ann Wolford D
Dec 17, 2013 – present · 13 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 70–29
Frank Paul Geraci, Jr. D
Jan 2, 2013 – Apr 1, 2023 · 10 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Apr 1, 2023
Charles J. Siragusa D
Nov 5, 1997 – Dec 15, 2012 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Dec 15, 2012 · confirmed 98–0
William M. Skretny R
Aug 7, 1990 – Mar 8, 2015 · 25 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Mar 8, 2015
Richard Joseph Arcara R
Feb 22, 1988 – Jan 3, 2015 · 27 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jan 3, 2015
David G. Larimer R
Nov 6, 1987 – Mar 3, 2009 · 21 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Mar 3, 2009
Michael Anthony Telesca R
Apr 21, 1982 – May 3, 1996 · 14 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status May 3, 1996
John Thomas Elfvin R
Dec 21, 1974 – Jul 1, 1987 · 13 years · appointed by Gerald Ford · senior status Jul 1, 1987
John Thomas Curtin D
Dec 14, 1967 – Jul 1, 1989 · 22 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jul 1, 1989
John Oliver Henderson R
Sep 21, 1959 – Feb 19, 1974 · 14 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Justin Colfax Morgan R
Mar 8, 1956 – May 24, 1959 · 3.2 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harold P. Burke D
Jun 18, 1937 – Jun 15, 1981 · 44 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Jun 15, 1981
Harlan Watson Rippey D
Jun 18, 1934 – Dec 31, 1936 · 2.5 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
John Knight R
Jan 9, 1932 – Jun 15, 1955 · 23 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover
Simon Louis Adler R
Jan 16, 1928 – May 23, 1934 · 6.3 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
John Raymond Hazel R
Jun 5, 1900 – Mar 5, 1931 · 31 years · appointed by William McKinley

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.