Richard A. Lanzillo

How Judge Lanzillo rules, drawn from 43 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

Court
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Position
Magistrate judge
Education
Mercyhurst University (B.A., 1983; Carpe Diem Award); University of Pittsburgh School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 1987; Order of the Coif; Law Review)
Signed orders read
43

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).

Key rules from these orders · The court's local rules ↗

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.

Johnson v. Montag
· 2024-09-03
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted in part

“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.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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”

Voorhis v. Lindsey
· 2026-01-15
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“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.”

Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied
Harris v. Williams
· 2024-06-24

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.

Dooley v. Bryant
1:14-cv-00194 · 2019-11-01
Motion for relief from judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“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 v. Samuels
1:15-cv-00158 · 2019-04-25
Temporary restraining order (plaintiff) Denied

“Pauley's Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (ECF No. 120) is DENIED.”

Pauley v. Samuels
1:15-cv-00158 · 2019-09-23
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Angle v. Carter
1:16-cv-00276 · 2018-11-14
Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Denied

“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.”

Angle v. Carter
1:16-cv-00276 · 2019-02-28
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted in part

“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.”

Johnston v. Wetzel
1:16-cv-00268 · 2019-12-27
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“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.”

Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“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.”

Crowe v. Maxa
1:16-cv-00175 · 2018-11-09
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“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.”

Crowe v. Maxa
1:16-cv-00175 · 2019-08-29
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 44) is GRANTED, and Plaintiff's Amended Complaint is dismissed, with prejudice.”

Mattis v. Department of Corrections
1:16-cv-00306 · 2019-06-20
Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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).”

Summary judgment (defendant) Granted

“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 months0
Bench trials submitted more than six months0
Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months0
Social Security appeals pending more than six months0
Civil cases pending more than three years0
ReportMotions over six monthsCases over three years
Mar 202600
Sep 202500
Mar 202500
Sep 202400
Mar 202400
Sep 202300
Mar 202300
Sep 202200
Mar 202200
Sep 202100
Mar 202120
Sep 202000

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.

CasesMedian time
All civil cases closed1,9656.5 months
Closed with no court action6654.6 months
Closed before pretrial6595.1 months
Closed during or after pretrial6328.4 months
Closed during trial9not reported
12 months endingCases closedMedian time
Sep 20251,9656.5 months
Sep 20241,8716.3 months
Sep 20232,0215.9 months
Sep 20221,9886.5 months
Sep 20211,8916.3 months
Sep 20201,9395.6 months
Sep 20191,7666.9 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).

Draft for Judge Lanzillo with the record in hand

Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Lanzillo, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.

Opens in Ezel Pro.

  • Grounded in Judge Lanzillo's own signed orders
  • Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
  • Chat, drafting and research in one workspace