Louis Charles Bechtle (born December 14, 1927) is a former
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Education and career
Born on December 14, 1927, in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania,
Bechtle was in the
United States Army from 1946 to 1947, then received a
Bachelor of Science degree from
Temple University in 1951 and a
Bachelor of Laws from
Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1954. He was an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...
in Philadelphia from 1956 to 1959. He was in private practice in Philadelphia from 1959 to 1962, and in
Norristown, Pennsylvania from 1962 to 1969. He was the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania from 1969 to 1972.
Federal judicial service
On February 14, 1972, Bechtle was nominated by President
Richard Nixon to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge
John W. Lord Jr.
John Whitaker Lord Jr. (December 19, 1901 – May 16, 1972) was an American politician and judge from Pennsylvania. He served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 6th district from 1947 to 1951 and the Philadelphia City Cou ...
Bechtle was confirmed by the
United States Senate on March 2, 1972, and received his commission on March 7, 1972. He served as Chief Judge from 1990 to 1993, assuming
senior status on April 30, 1993, and retiring from the bench entirely on June 30, 2001.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bechtle, Louis
1927 births
Living people
Lawyers from Philadelphia
Military personnel from Philadelphia
Temple University Beasley School of Law alumni
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States district court judges appointed by Richard Nixon
20th-century American judges
United States Army soldiers
United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Assistant United States Attorneys