Robert David Mariani

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Robert David Mariani
	Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Progress
	Confirmed 322 days after nomination.
	Nominated: December 1, 2010
	ABA Rating: Unanimously Qualified
	Questionnaire: Questionnaire
	Hearing: June 22, 2011
	Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: July 21, 2011
	Confirmed: October 19, 2011
	Vote: 82-17
	Returned: December 22, 2010

Robert David Mariani is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He joined the court in 2011 after a nomination from President Barack Obama. He assumed senior status on September 30, 2022.^[1]

Early life and education

A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mariani earned his bachelor's degree from Villanova University in 1972 and his J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1976.^[2]

Professional career

2011-present: Judge, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- 2022-present: Senior judge
- 2011-2022: Judge
1978-1980: Solicitor, Scranton Sewer Authority
1976-2011: Private practice, Scranton, Pa.^[2]

Judicial career

Middle District of Pennsylvania

President Barack Obama nominated Mariani on December 1, 2010, to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to a seat vacated by Judge James Munley. The American Bar Association rated Mariani Unanimously Qualified for the nomination. Under provisions of Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Mariani's nomination was returned to the president on December 22, 2010. President Obama resubmitted the nomination on January 5, 2011. Hearings on Mariani's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 22, 2011, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on July 21, 2011. Mariani was confirmed on a recorded 82-17 vote of the U.S. Senate on October 19, 2011, and he received his commission the same day.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Noteworthy cases

Overdraft banking class action settles for $2.5 million (2013)

See also: United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Johnson v. Community Bank, N.A. and First Liberty Bank and Trust, 3:12-cv-01405-RDM)

On November 25, 2013, Judge Mariani granted final approval to a class settlement between the plaintiff members of the class and the defendants, Community Bank NA and its subsidiary, First Liberty Bank and Trust. In the case, the plaintiffs filed suit in July 2012 alleging the banks' "unfair and unconscionable assessment and collection of excessive overdraft fees;" specifically, that the banks purposefully re-sequenced the way in which debit transactions posted to customers' accounts in order to increase overdraft fees. The plaintiffs claimed that all charges over the limit were subject to additional overdraft fees, as opposed to only the first charge incurring the fee. The parties mediated their claims in January 2013 and presented a proposed $2.5 million settlement to the court which was signed in March 2013. About 50,000 members were included in the settlement class and none of them objected. Only five opted out of the class. The settlement funds were to be distributed pro rata to class members, with the exception of the named plaintiffs who would each receive $5,000 payments. In weighing whether to grant final approval to the class settlement agreement, Judge Mariani noted that it must be fair, reasonable, and adequate. In so doing, he stated that "litigation in this case could be very complex, expensive, and protracted, even compared to other class actions." Finding that the proposed settlement fulfilled the requirements, Mariani granted the court's approval, awarding the plaintiffs their awards, fees, and costs.^[6]