WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved three U.S. district court nominees from Pennsylvania, sending their nominations to the Senate floor for a final vote. Nitza Quiñones Alejandro, Luis Restrepo, and Jeffrey L. Schmehl, nominees to be U.S. District Court judges for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, were approved by the committee Thursday. Senator Bob Casey and Senator Pat Toomey jointly recommended the nominees to the White House last November.
“I am very pleased that these well-qualified candidates can now come before the Senate for a confirmation vote,” said Senator Casey. “It is imperative that these vacancies are filled as soon as possible to address the shortage of U.S. district court judges in Pennsylvania. I’m confident that these individuals who Sen. Toomey and I have recommended and the White House has nominated will serve with the highest standards and discharge justice in a fair and impartial way.”
"Since joining the Senate, I've worked closely with Sen. Casey on judicial nominations for Pennsylvania to help confirm qualified, experienced individuals with unquestioned honesty, ability and integrity,” said Sen. Toomey. “I’m grateful the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved Judges Quiñones, Restrepo and Schmehl. I am confident that these three nominees will serve our state well, and I hope that the Senate confirms them in a timely manner.”
Biographies for the nominees are listed below:
Judicial Nomination of Nitza Quiñones Alejandro, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Since 1991, Nitza Quiñones Alejandro has served as a judge for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas’ criminal and civil trial divisions. Prior to her judicial appointment, Quiñones Alejandro served as an arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1980 to 1991.
She has also worked as a staff attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 1979 to 1991, an attorney advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1977 to 1979, a staff attorney for Community Legal Services from 1975 to 1977, and a legal intern for the Legal Aid Society at the University of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1975.
A native of Puerto Rico, Quiñones Alejandro holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico. She lives in Philadelphia.
Judicial Nomination of Luis Felipe Restrepo, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Luis Felipe Restrepo has served as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since June 2006. Prior to his nomination to the bench, he worked as a partner at Kreasner & Restrepo in Philadelphia, focusing on criminal defense and civil rights legislation.
Restrepo served as an assistant federal defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1990 to 1993, and an assistant defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia from 1987 to 1990. He is a past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Pennsylvania.
A native of Colombia, Restrepo became a U.S. citizen in 1993. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School in 1986. He lives in Swarthmore.
Judicial Nomination of Jeffrey Schmehl, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Jeffrey Schmehl has served as a judge for the Berks County Court of Common Pleas since 1998 and was elected president judge by his peers in 2008. Prior to joining the bench, Schmehl was a partner at Rhoda, Stoudt & Bradley from 1988 to 1997, where he had also worked as an associate from 1986 to 1987.
Schmehl served as the county solicitor at the Berks County Services Center from 1989 to 1997 and practiced in his own law firm from 1981 to 1986. He also served as an assistant district attorney in Berks County from 1981 to 1986 and an assistant public defender for the Berks County Public Defender’s office from 1980 to 1981.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dickinson College in 1977 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1980. He lives in Reading.
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