Nealon, Minora have to start over

BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK
STAFF WRITER
Lackawanna County Judges Terrence R. Nealon and Carmen D. Minora, who were recommended to President Obama for federal judgeships last year, will have to go through a new review process if they are to move up to the federal bench.
As they await the new process, President Obama’s existing nomination of another Lackawnana County man, attorney Robert Mariani, to the federal bench will proceed as scheduled.
The new review for Judges Nealon and Minora is part of an agreement between U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, a Democrat, and Pat Toomey, a Republican, on how vacancies on the federal court should be filled, their offices announced today.
Last summer, Mr. Casey and Sen. Arlen Specter, also a Democrat, recommended Mr. Mariani and Judges Nealon and Minora to fill three vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which includes all of Northeast Pennsylvania.
In December, Mr. Obama nominated Mr. Mariani and re-nominated him in January after the new Congress took office. But he had not acted on Judges Nealon and Minora, and after Mr. Toomey took office he sought input into nominations.
Under the process Mr. Toomey and Mr. Casey agreed to, approximately 20-member panels, half appointed by Mr. Toomey, half by Mr. Casey, will seek and interview applicants, then recommend nominees for the two other Middle District vacancies, and three in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The senators will then review applicants and make recommendations to the White House.