Pennsylvania Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Pennsylvania — 28 U.S.C. § 118
The district structure of Pennsylvania is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 118:
“Pennsylvania is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Eastern District shall be held at Allentown, Easton, Lancaster, Reading, and Philadelphia.
Court for the Middle District shall be held at Harrisburg, Lewisburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport.
Court for the Western District shall be held at Erie, Johnstown, and Pittsburgh.
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Pennsylvania
Federal fraud offenses committed in Pennsylvania are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Third Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands.”
The Third Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Pennsylvania. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Pennsylvania.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 118 — Pennsylvania (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Pennsylvania is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Third Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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