Ronald L. Buckwalter
Encyclopedia
Ronald Lawrence Buckwalter (born 1936) is a United States federal judge
on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
.
Buckwalter was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. He received an A.B.
from Franklin and Marshall College in 1958 and a B.C.L. from College of William and Mary School of Law in 1962. Buckwalter was a legal aid attorney in Lancaster from 1964 to 1966, and then was a clerk to Judges John Bowman and Anthony Appel of the Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster County. He left that position to become an assistant district attorney of for the county in 1970, and was made a full district attorney in 1978. He was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas from 1980 to 1990.
Buckwalter was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on November 17, 1989, to a seat vacated by Charles R. Weiner
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on March 9, 1990, and received commission on March 12. Buckwalter assumed senior status
on December 11, 2003.
In 2008, Buckwalter was assigned to preside over the corruption trial of Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo who was ultimately convicted on fraud and obstruction of justice charges. In July 2009, Buckwalter sentenced Fumo to 55 months in prison sparking criticism from the prosecutors and some media outlets, most notably the Philadelphia Inquirer, that the sentence was too lenient.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
.
Buckwalter was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. He received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Franklin and Marshall College in 1958 and a B.C.L. from College of William and Mary School of Law in 1962. Buckwalter was a legal aid attorney in Lancaster from 1964 to 1966, and then was a clerk to Judges John Bowman and Anthony Appel of the Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster County. He left that position to become an assistant district attorney of for the county in 1970, and was made a full district attorney in 1978. He was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas from 1980 to 1990.
Buckwalter was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on November 17, 1989, to a seat vacated by Charles R. Weiner
Charles R. Weiner
Charles R. Weiner was a United States federal judge and former member of the Pennsylvania Senate.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Weiner was in the United States Navy during World War II, from 1941 to 1945. He thereafter received an A.B. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1947, an LL.B....
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on March 9, 1990, and received commission on March 12. Buckwalter assumed senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on December 11, 2003.
In 2008, Buckwalter was assigned to preside over the corruption trial of Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo who was ultimately convicted on fraud and obstruction of justice charges. In July 2009, Buckwalter sentenced Fumo to 55 months in prison sparking criticism from the prosecutors and some media outlets, most notably the Philadelphia Inquirer, that the sentence was too lenient.