The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) is a federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). History The United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, , on September 24, 1789. It was subdivided on April 20, 1818, by , into the Eastern and Western Districts to be headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively. The court began its first session on December 7, 1818 at the Old County Courthouse in Pittsburgh. Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880. At the time of its initial subdivision, presiding judge Richard Peters Jr. was reassigned to only the Eastern District. This made it possible for President James Monroe to appoint Jonathan Hoge Walker as the first judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Erie courthouse and division was split from Pittsburgh for initial actions in January 1867, with the Johnstown courthouse and division being split from Pittsburgh for initial actions in 1989. Current judges : Former judges Chief judges Succession of seats United States Attorneys Former United States Attorneys for the district have included: James Hamilton March 11, 1801 Andrew Stewart April 20, 1818 Alexander Brackenridge March 3, 1821 George W. Buchanan October 22, 1830 Benjamin Patton, Jr. October 22, 1832 John P. Anderson June 12, 1839 Cornelius Darragh March 25, 1841 William O'Hara Robinson March 29, 1844 John L. Dawson July 22, 1845 J. Bowman Sweitzer August 27, 1850 Charles Shaler April 19, 1853 Richard Biddle Roberts April 21, 1857 Robert B. Carnahan April 12, 1861 Henry B. Swope January 24, 1870 David Reed March 24, 1874 Henry H. McCormick June 29, 1876 William A. Stone July 6, 1880 George A. Allen December 4, 1886 Walter Lyon June 21, 1889 Stephen C. McCandless April 26, 1893 Harry Alvan Hall June 8, 1893 B. Heiner September 14, 1897 James S. Young February 10, 1902 John W. Dunkle March 17, 1905 John H. Jordan