Biography

06/27/1922 - 11/09/2005

Judge Charles R. Weiner (D7) Philadelphia County 1953-1967

Early Life: 

Judge Charles R. Weiner, born June 27, 1922, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; son of Max Weiner; Central High School; Purple Heart, Bronze Star, United States Navy, World War II, 1941-1945; University of Pennsylvania, A.B., 1947; married, Edna Gerber, 1947, one daughter, Carole, two sons, William, Harvey; Temple University School of Law (now James E. Beasley School of Law), LL.B., 1949; University of Pennsylvania, (now Carey Law School) M.A., 1967; attorney, private practice, 1967-2005; University of Pennsylvania Law School, Ph.D., 1976; assistant district attorney, Philadelphia County, 1952-1953; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1953- resigned, June 28, 1967, Minority Floor Leader, 1959-1960, Majority Floor Leader, 1961-1962, Minority Floor Leader,1963-1964; appointment, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1967-1988; Senior Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1988-2005; professor University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, 1988; died, November 9, 2005, cancer, Doylestown Hospital, Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; private interment.

Early Career: 

Assistant district attorney, Philadelphia County, 1952-1953; Attorney, private practice, 1967-2005.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations; Chairman, Interstate Corporation Commission; Board of Directors, Federation of Jewish Agencies, Speaker’s Bureau of the Community Chest and the Allied Jewish Appeal; Chairman, Speaker’s Bureau of the Philadelphia democratic City Committee; leader 28th Ward, Democratic Executive Committee; delegate, Democratic Conventions; member, B’nai B’rith and Big Brothers Association; member general State Authority, State Highway, Bridge Authority, State Public School Building Authority and Joint State Government Commission. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

 Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, Philadelphia County, 1953-June 28, 1967; Minority Floor Leader, 1959-1960, Majority Floor Leader, 1961-1962, Minority Floor Leader,1963-1964; committee assignments, Appropriations, Banking, Corporations, Insurance, Public Health and Welfare, State Government.

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Appointment, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Judge, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1967-1988; May 24, 1967, nominated, newly created seat, created by 80 Stat. 75.  Confirmed, United States Senate, June 12, 1967, commissioned, June 14, 1967. Oversaw Implantation Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973. Member, United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, 1978-1983 

Senior Judge United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1988-2005. At the request of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, resolved backlog of 100,000 asbestos lawsuits, 1993.   

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members W". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University. 

The Pennsylvania Manual, (1967). Brittingham, G.R., (Editor). (Volume 98) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 84, 90, 94. Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 73. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Saturday, November 12, 2005, Page B06.

Charles R. Weiner | OpenJurist 

STATUTE-80-Pg75.pdf (govinfo.gov)

Weiner, Charles R. | Federal Judicial Center (fjc.gov)