-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Joseph Saporito to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Born in Pittston, PA, Judge Saporito received his B.A. from Villanova University and his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. He then entered private practice in Pittston, where he represented clients in a wide variety of matters, including criminal defense, civil litigation, and commercial transactions. He tried more than 60 cases to verdict in which he was either sole counsel or chief counsel. In addition, he served as a part-time assistant public defender in the Luzerne County Office of the Public Defender and as a part-time law clerk in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

Since 2015, Judge Saporito has served as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Wilkes- Barre. He has served as the chief magistrate judge since February 2024. During his time on the bench, he has handled a wide range of civil and criminal matters at various stages of litigation, and he has presided over 16 civil trials, including 14 jury trials.

Judge Saporito has deep ties to the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He enjoys the strong support of both of his home State Senators, Mr. Casey and Mr. Fetterman, and the American Bar Association unanimously rated him as ``well qualified'' to serve on the district court.

Judge Saporito's extensive litigation background and his courtroom experience as both an advocate and magistrate judge ensure that he will continue to be an asset to the district court. I am proud to support his nomination, and I ask my colleagues to join me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source