Trump nominates Delco judge to federal bench

Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Chad Kenney was nominated Wednesday by President Donald Trump for a seat on the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Kenney must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate the federal post.

Kenney, 61, has served on the county’s Common Pleas Court since Aug. 22, 2003, and presides over Orphans Court. A Republican, he is the former party leader from Nether Providence.

He said in a statement that he was “honored” by the nomination.

Delaware County Republican Chairman Andrew Reilly spoke highly of the nominee.

“Judge Kenney has had a distinguished career on the Delaware County bench leading to his tenure as president judge which he completed last year,” he said. “I am confident he will be an excellent federal judge and will serve with distinction.”

In November 2003, he was elected to a 10-year term. In June 2012, he was elected by the Board of Judges to serve as president judge, replacing Judge Joseph Cronin. The position is now held by President Judge Kevin Kelly.

When assuming the president judge’s job, he said, “Dealing with Delaware County juries is a very rewarding experience. So that part of it I’ll miss, because your administrative duties pretty much take over and the judicial duties sort of take a background.”

Part of being president judge includes crafting a budget for the courts. One of his priorities was implementing an electronic filing system for civil and family cases.

Previously, he served as county sheriff for five years.

Kenney attended Monsignor Bonner High School and received an undergraduate degree in political science from Villanova University before he went to the Temple Law School, where he served on the Law Review.

He has served in the family, criminal and civil trial sections and the motion hearing division.

The judge has practiced law for about 25 years, first with the law firm of Rawle and Henderson and later in his own practice.

Other Trump nominees include Judge Marilyn Jean Horan of the Butler County Common Pleas Court for District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Judge Susan Paradise Baxter, who has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania since 1995, as District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania; and William McSwain of West Chester, a partner at the Center City law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath, also a former federal prosecutor, for U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Chad Kenney