First Posted: 4/17/2015
SCRANTON — Kind words and praise from friends and family marked Joseph F. Saporito Jr.’s induction as U.S. magistrate for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Administered by Chief Judge Christopher Conner, Saporito swore an oath Thursday to faithfully discharge his duties as magisterial judge. His words met a standing ovation in a packed courtroom at the William J. Nealon Federal Building.
While duties vary from court to court, U.S. magistrate judges typically oversee initial proceedings in criminal cases and conduct pretrial matters in both civil and criminal proceedings on behalf of the district judges, according to the U.S. Courts website. With the involved parties’ consent, magistrate judge also can decide civil cases.
A full-time district judge serves an eight-year term.
“A better, more honest, more just man could not have been chosen for this position,” said his brother Carlo Saporito.
The Pittston native’s daughter, Sarah Saporito, painted her father as a fair, even-tempered and sincere man who never lacks an encouraging word. His son, Joseph Saporito III, likewise described his namesake as the primary model for his own life.
“I may be a little biased, but I have never met someone whose work ethic surpassed my father’s,” he said.
The new district magistrate’s brother-in-law, attorney Sam A. Falcone, punctuated the sentimental moments with a bit of ribbing aimed at his former law partner.
In an anecdote, he recalled meeting an overdressed Saporito at a birthday party as teenagers.
“Joe has been acting and dressing like he’s 50 years old since he was chronologically 12,” Falcone joked.
And despite his quirks, Falcone assured those in attendance that Saporito is a patient and passionate student of law.
As an attorney, Saporito was a “lawyer’s lawyer,” Falcone said, and added his expectation he will go on to serve the federal district court as a “lawyer’s judge” who will guarantee fairness.
Falcone closed his remarks with a comparison between Saporito and his late father, the well-known attorney Joseph Saporito Sr. Both men, Falcone said, were “cut from the same cloth.”
“You are truly his living legacy,” Falcone said.
Saporito also spoke highly of his father in his own remarks, in some ways echoing his son’s statements.
Of all the advice his father gave him, Saporito said, five words will be most relevant to his work as judge.
“‘Just do the right thing,’” he said. “That’s what I intend to do.”
A board of federal district judges chose Saporito in November to fill a vacant position left by a retiring U.S. magistrate. He was selected from a pool of five applicants, four of whom hailed from Luzerne County.
He will work primarily out of the Max Rosenn U.S. Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.
The position’s exact salary was unavailable, as online court resources indicate it is determined by judicial committee. The salary is not to exceed $185,012.
Saporito has practiced law in the region for nearly 30 years and has handled both civil and criminal matters throughout his decades working in both private practice and for the Luzerne County Public Defender’s Office.
In 2013, Saporito ran unsuccessfully for seat on the county bench in the Court of Common Pleas.
He served for a time as president of the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association, a position his father also once held. The Saporitos are the first father and son duo to have occupied the spot.
