Richard A. Lanzillo
How Judge Lanzillo rules, drawn from 43 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Lanzillo
Richard A. Lanzillo serves as a United States magistrate judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He was chief magistrate judge from September 2022 through September 2026. He graduated from Mercyhurst University in 1983 and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1987.
Judge Lanzillo's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Lanzillo, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Send requests by motion; letters and faxes are generally not accepted without approval.
“Magistrate Judge Lanzillo generally does not accept letters or faxes from litigants unless he specifically requests or approves the same.”
Motions
File supporting briefs at the same time as motions in general.
“Magistrate Judge Lanzillo generally requires legal briefs in support of motions to be contemporaneously filed with those motions.”
Motions
Reply briefs may generally be filed but cannot exceed five pages without leave.
“Reply briefs are generally permitted but shall not exceed five (5) pages without leave of court.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026).
How Judge Lanzillo decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Nye v. Klemm, Judge Lanzillo denied dismissal of a prisoner’s Free Exercise claim over religious diet requests. The complaint plausibly alleged sincere belief, and the officials’ asserted budget justification lacked a supporting record at that stage.
“the Court cannot accept this invocation without a record to support it.”
In Lewis v. Wellpath, Judge Lanzillo declined to dismiss a prisoner’s amended complaint for Rule 8 and Rule 10 defects. Despite its disorganized narrative, he could identify the claims, supporting facts, and defendants, and the defendants could challenge its legal sufficiency.
“Notwithstanding these deficiencies, the Court finds that dismissal is not warranted.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“this Court entered a Memorandum Order [ECF No. 45] adopting Chief Magistrate Judge Lanzillo's Report and Recommendation to grant Defendants' motion to dismiss Plaintiff's claims against Defendants Oberlander and Wetzel, but to deny Plaintiff's claim against Defendant Montag.”
“On August 9, 2024, Judge Lanzillo issued a ... R&R recommending that Defendant Montag's motion for summary judgment be granted on the sole remaining claim ... IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Montag's motion for summary judgment [ECF No. 57] is GRANTED”
“For the foregoing reasons, it is respectfully recommended that Lindsey’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 91) and Voorhis’ cross-motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 86) each be denied.”
Pro se IFP 28 U.S.C. 1915(e) screening. Lanzillo recommended dismissal as frivolous: 'Deep State'/court/police-department defendants not suable under 1983, private parties not state actors, judges entitled to absolute immunity, no viable constitutional/NLRA/contract claim; six pro se motions dismissed as frivolous. Baxter adopted, dismissed WITH prejudice (defects uncorrectable by amendment). Quote: 'this action is DISMISSED as frivolous, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1915(e) ... such dismissal is with prejudice.' As a sua sponte screening order, it is excluded from the statistics.
“Thus, because Plaintiff's motion was filed outside of the one-year time period, it is untimely. ... For these reasons, Plaintiff's motion is DENIED.”
“Pauley's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (ECF No. 120) is DENIED.”
“After a thorough review of the summary judgment record, the Court finds that no genuine issue of material fact remains for trial and that the Defendants are entitled to judgment as a matter of law as to the Plaintiffs' remaining claims. The Court will therefore grant the Defendants' motion.”
“Here, Angle's request for injunctive relief does not relate to any of his claims raised in this action. ... Therefore, the Plaintiff's motion injunction is DENIED. For the same reasons, the Plaintiff's request for a temporary restraining order is DENIED.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. [45], is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as follows: the motion is GRANTED as to Plaintiff's First Amendment retaliation claim against Defendant Davis, and the motion is DENIED with respect to Plaintiff's Eighth Amendment 'failure to protect' claim against Defendant Steed. The report and recommendation of Magistrate Judge Lanzillo, issued on February 1, 2019, ECF No. [58], is adopted as the opinion of this Court.”
“Does the 17-year duration of Johnston's conditions of solitary confinement distinguish his case from the otherwise comparable conditions addressed in Peterkin v. Jeffes ... such that it is for a jury to determine whether these conditions and their duration violated Johnston's Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment? The Court holds that it does and that disputed issues of material fact preclude summary judgment for Johnston or the Defendants on this claim.”
“Are the Defendants nevertheless entitled to summary judgment on Johnston's Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment claims based on qualified immunity? The Court holds that they are not.”
“For all of the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 29) is GRANTED and Plaintiff's Complaint is dismissed, without prejudice. The Clerk is directed to mark this case closed. Plaintiff can reopen this case by filing an amended complaint, if so desired, within 20 days of the accompanying order.”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 44) is GRANTED, and Plaintiff's Amended Complaint is dismissed, with prejudice.”
“Defendants Overmyer, Gustafson, Cummins, Kennedy, Sheesley, Best, Mealy, and Anthony's motion for summary judgment [ECF No. 100] will be granted as to Count One (Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment claims) and Count Three (Fourteenth Amendment claim). The Court will decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Count Five (intentional infliction of emotional distress) and Count Six (negligence).”
“Defendant Hasper's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 108] is GRANTED as to Count One. Defendant McKeel's Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 104] is GRANTED as to Count One (Eighth Amendment claim).”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
The reviewed Erie Division matters are weighted toward self-represented prisoner civil-rights cases, habeas and parole challenges, and initial screening. Many of the recent cases remain pending.
Pending matters in the official report
Reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Civil Justice Reform Act, as of March 31, 2026.
| Motions pending more than six months | 0 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 0 |
A snapshot on that date: matters listed may since have been decided or reassigned. A motion referred to a magistrate judge is counted for both judges. Motions in multidistrict litigation, section 2255 cases and Social Security appeals are not counted, and a very large three-year count is generally a multidistrict docket. Source: Appendix A of the report (PDF); about the report.
How long civil cases take in this court
For the whole of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, not for Judge Lanzillo: median time from filing to disposition of the civil cases the court closed in the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 1,965 | 6.5 months |
| Closed with no court action | 665 | 4.6 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 659 | 5.1 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 632 | 8.4 months |
| Closed during trial | 9 | not reported |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 1,965 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2024 | 1,871 | 6.3 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,021 | 5.9 months |
| Sep 2022 | 1,988 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2021 | 1,891 | 6.3 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,939 | 5.6 months |
| Sep 2019 | 1,766 | 6.9 months |
The table leaves out prisoner petitions, land condemnations, deportation reviews, recovery of overpayments and enforcement of judgments, and reports no median for fewer than 10 cases. A district that closed a large multidistrict litigation in the period shows very large counts and long medians for that year. Source: Table C-5, U.S. District Courts (spreadsheet).
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