--- title: "John R. Padova | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # John R. Padova U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern 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 - John Padova Jr. is a judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, having assumed office on January 1, 2024 - Judge, District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, 1992-2008 - Nominated by President George H. W. Bush, he became a judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on March 18, 1992 ### Education - Temple University School of Law (now James E. Beasley School of Law) — J.D. (1959) - Villanova University — B.A. (1956) ### Additional information - Elected in the general election on November 7, 2023, after being nominated by Governor Tom Wolf and confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in December 2019 - He assumed senior status on February 11, 2008, allowing him to continue serving while reducing his caseload - Private practice, Philadelphia, PA, 1960-1992 - Private practice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1960-1992 - U.S. Army Reserve, JAG Corps, 1964-1968 - New Jersey Army National Guard, 1959-1964 - Date of birth: 1935-01-01 - Judicial Experience: Padova Jr. has been involved in handling non-jury criminal trials and has a background in civil litigation. - Has served in various capacities, including as an arbitrator and Judge Pro Tempore for the Philadelphia Mortgage Diversion Program - Birth place: Philadelphia, 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/1386021) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386021) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386021) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2486/john-r-padova/) - [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/2486/john-r-padova/) - [Judge John R. Padova](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386021) - [Wikidata: John R. Padova](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6253959) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova", "name": "John R. Padova | KnowJudges", "description": "John R. Padova, U.S. District Court for the Eastern 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/john-r-padova#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova#judge", "name": "John R. Padova", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386021", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2486/john-r-padova/" ], "birthDate": "1935", "birthPlace": "Philadelphia, PA", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Villanova University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Temple University School of Law (now James E. Beasley School of Law)" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Temple University Beasley School of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Pennsylvania", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/pennsylvania" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John R. Padova", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-r-padova" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 94 | 4 | Not available | 4 | | 2y | 192 | 46 | 2.8 | 46 | | 5y | 493 | 329 | 5.9 | 329 | | 10y | 962 | 797 | 5.9 | 797 | 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.