The Honorable Robert P. Casey Jr.

United States Senator
Pennsylvania
September 23, 2008

Thank you Chairman Leahy for conducting this hearing at this time. And I especially want to thank my colleague and my fellow senator from Pennsylvania, Senator Specter, with whom I've been very pleased to work on recommending their nominations to the White House. I think a bipartisan relationship as productive as ours is rare in this political environment and I appreciate it very much. I thank the Committee for inviting me here to introduce these nominees and express my strong support for the confirmation of all three to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Joel H. Slomsky has practiced law for 38 years as a federal and state prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and sole practitioner, and currently practices law in Philadelphia. After graduating from New York Law School, Mr. Slomsky worked with the Criminal Division, Organized Crime Section with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and he then transferred to the Philadelphia Strike Force where he worked from 1971-1973.

Mr. Slomsky then moved into private practice, where he has handled civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts. He has also fulfilled his pro bono and public service obligations through contributions to legal education and legal services organizations in the Philadelphia community. He has accepted court appointments in criminal cases at reduced fees, and offered his services without court appointment for reduced fees to ensue that all defendants receive adequate representation in our judicial system. Mr. Slomsky's wife, Paula Beth Slomsky, serves as a clinical social worker and therapist at Northeast Philadelphia Community Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation and is similarly devoted to the City of Philadelphia.

Mr. Slomsky has worked on a diverse array of civil and criminal matters, and has served in both the public and private sectors. His diverse background, strong legal skills, and ethical integrity makes him strongly qualified to serve as a federal district judge.

Judge Mitchell Steven Goldberg is a judge on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, a position he has held since 2003. After graduating from Temple University's School of Law, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a senior partner with the Philadelphia law firm of Cozen O'Connor, and an Assistant District Attorney for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. He was also an Adjunct Professor in Trial Advocacy at Temple Law School. As a trial judge, he has presided over more than 70 jury trials, both civil and criminal in nature. He has handled Family Court cases, included protracted custody matters and complex equitable distribution cases. He is married to Helene Goldberg, a Financial Manager at Heartsine Inc., and they have two children.

His experience as an attorney in both the public and private sectors and his tenure as a judge with the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas should give the Senate great confidence that Judge Goldberg is well-qualified to serve on the federal bench.

While I am proud to support all three nominees, I am particularly happy to support Judge Jones' elevation to the federal judiciary. My father, Governor Casey, appointed Judge Jones to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1987. Judge Jones has risen through the ranks by virtue of his hard work and commitment to the rule of law. Pennsylvanians have twice voted to retain Judge Jones and in 2006, he was elected President Judge by his fellow judges on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. He is a highly respected voice of reason and the federal judicial system will be well-served by his presence on the federal bench.

In his 33 year legal career, Judge Jones has been a common pleas court judge, a state government attorney, a public defender, and a law professor. Prior to becoming a judge, he worked as an Office Assistant at the Citizens Crime Commission. Judge Jones practiced law at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, holding the positions of Chief of the Family Court Division, Assistant Chief of the Family Court Division, Special Defense Unit and Trial Attorney. Judge Jones became the Deputy Chief of the Family Court Division and the Chief of the Family Court Division, where he represented indigent juvenile defendants charged with criminal offenses.

Judge Jones, who is a graduate of The American University's Washington College of Law, has authored over 400 trial court opinions. It is not uncommon for him to preside over five bench trials per day, for three weeks per month. As a result, Judge Jones issues opinions on a constant basis. During his 21 years on the bench, appellate courts have rarely overturned his rulgins.

Judge Jones and his wife Evelyn Antonia Jones, formerly Evelyn Antonia Williams, who works in the Capital Habeas Unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia-Federal Division, have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to our legal system. My father recognized that Judge Jones possesses the intelligence, temperament, and commitment to ethical behavior required of a jurist when he first appointed him 21 years ago. I am very honored to support his confirmation to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and look forward to following what will surely be a distinguished career on the federal bench.

Mr. Chairman, each of the nominees comes to the bench with superior legal experience that will serve them well in their new duties as federal district court judges. Each possesses the judicial temperament, humility and strong sense of ethical responsibility required to interpret the law in a thoughtful, thorough and objective manner. I therefore encourage my colleagues to confirm these well-qualified individuals for service on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.