--- title: "David S. Cercone | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # David S. Cercone U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania - State: Pennsylvania - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania, 2002-present - David Stewart Cercone is a Senior United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002 and assuming senior status in 2017 - Judge, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Pennsylvania, 1986-2002 - Magisterial district judge, Allegheny County Pennsylvania District Court, 1982-1985 - District Justice (magistrate) for Stowe and McKees Rocks, PA (1982–1985) - Assistant district attorney, Allegheny County, PA, 1979-1981 - Law clerk, Hon. Paul R. Zavarella, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Pennsylvania, 1978-1979 ### Education - Duquesne University — J.D. (1977) ### Additional information - Adjunct faculty, University of Pittsburgh, 1983-present - Administrative Judge for the Criminal Division (1993–1999) - Adjunct faculty, Robert Morris College, 1993-1995 - Private practice, Pennsylvania, 1982-1985 - Private practice, Pennsylvania, 1978-1979 - Date of birth: 1952-01-01 - overseeing 14 judges and 200+ staff - Sto-Rox High School - Birth place: Pittsburgh, PA ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391586) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391586) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391586) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/581/david-s-cercone/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/581/david-s-cercone/) - [Wikidata: David S. Cercone](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5239349) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone", "name": "David S. Cercone | KnowJudges", "description": "David S. Cercone, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone#judge", "name": "David S. 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Cercone", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-s-cercone" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 80 | 5 | Not available | 5 | | 2y | 162 | 41 | 4.2 | 41 | | 5y | 441 | 267 | 6.2 | 267 | | 10y | 1162 | 982 | 6.6 | 982 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.