Frank Geraci, a federal judge in the Western District of New York, announced Wednesday that he will assume “senior status,” a designation that allows him to take on a partial caseload and opens a seat on the bench.
A news release from his chambers read that Geraci, 71, notified President Joseph Biden of his intentions to scale back his duties and serve the district as a senior judge effective April 1.
Under federal law, nominating a new judge falls to the president and confirmation falls to the Senate.
Senior status is reserved for judges who are at least 65 years old and have 15 years of service. Senior judges handle about 20% of a district’s total caseload, and receive full judicial pay, which is $232,600.
Geraci, an enrolled Democrat who lives in Rochester and is a former Rochester City Court judge, was nominated to the federal bench in 2012 by President Barack Obama. He served as chief judge of the district from 2015 to 2021.
“Judge Geraci stated that his decision to assume senior status was greatly influenced by the fact that such action will allow for an additional judge to be appointed to a court that has one of the highest caseloads per judge of any in the nation,” read the news release.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York covers 17 counties, from Seneca in the east to Chautauqua in the west, and is presided over by eight district judges and seven magistrate judges.
