D. Michael Fisher
Encyclopedia
Dennis Michael Fisher is a United States federal judge
of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
. He was nominated on May 1, 2003 by President George W. Bush
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate
unanimously on December 9, 2003.
in 1966 and Georgetown University Law Center
in 1969. As an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County
, he handled nearly 1,000 cases, including 25 homicides. He continued to practice law during his career in the General Assembly and was a shareholder or partner in various firms, including Houston Harbaugh, where he practiced from 1984 to 1997. Fisher’s law practice included civil litigation, commercial law, estate planning and real estate.
, serving 6 years in the State House
and 16 years as a member of the State Senate
. He was a member of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Majority Whip
of the Senate. During his legislative career, he was a leader in criminal and civil justice reform and an architect of many major environmental laws. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
in 1986
, serving as the running mate
of Bill Scranton
.
of Pennsylvania
in 1996 and re-elected in 2000
. Fisher personally argued major cases in state and federal appellate courts. In March 1998, he successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court a precedent-setting case ensuring that paroled criminals meet the conditions of their release.
In a 2009 documentary film about the politics behind attempts to move the Barnes Foundation art collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
called “The Art of the Steal
,” Fisher admitted using improper pressure on Lincoln University
officials to get them to approve the move.
. Early in the campaign, the Republican State Committee gravitated to him as the nominee, much to the chagrin of State Treasurer
Barbara Hafer
, who had explored a run. After Fisher won the nomination unopposed, Hafer endorsed the Democrat, Ed Rendell
and later switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party. Fisher's campaign website was praised as being among the best during the 2002 election cycle.
During the campaign, he raised issues such as Pennsylvania’s growing medical malpractice insurance crisis, the need to improve public education and the necessity of property tax reform. Fisher's candidacy was unable to gain traction, and he was down in the polls by double digits throughout the fall. In the end, Fisher could not catch Rendell and lost 53.4%–44.4%.
to serve with Marjorie Rendell
, Governor Rendell's wife. Fisher was nominated by President George W. Bush
on May 1, 2003, to a seat vacated by Carol Los Mansmann
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on December 9, 2003, and received commission on December 11, 2003.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
. He was nominated on May 1, 2003 by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
unanimously on December 9, 2003.
Early Career and Education
He began his legal career in his hometown of Pittsburgh following his graduation from Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1966 and Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in 1969. As an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
, he handled nearly 1,000 cases, including 25 homicides. He continued to practice law during his career in the General Assembly and was a shareholder or partner in various firms, including Houston Harbaugh, where he practiced from 1984 to 1997. Fisher’s law practice included civil litigation, commercial law, estate planning and real estate.
Political career
Before his election as Attorney General, Fisher served for 22 years in the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
, serving 6 years in the State House
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
and 16 years as a member of the State Senate
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
. He was a member of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Majority Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
of the Senate. During his legislative career, he was a leader in criminal and civil justice reform and an architect of many major environmental laws. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor. Jim Cawley of Bucks County is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor...
in 1986
Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1986
The Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election of 1986 was held on November 4, 1986. Democrat Bob Casey narrowly defeated Republican Bill Scranton III, in a race that featured two very high profile candidates....
, serving as the running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
of Bill Scranton
William Scranton, III
William Worthington Scranton, III served as the Republican lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987 in the administration of Governor Richard Thornburgh...
.
Attorney General
Prior to becoming a judge, he was elected Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1996 and re-elected in 2000
Pennsylvania Attorney General election, 2000
Pennsylvania's Attorney General election was held November 7, 2000. Necessary primary elections were held on April 4, 2000. Incumbent Michael Fisher was unopposed for the Republican nomination and won a second term by a relatively comfortable margin. Jim Eisenhower, a former Assistant U.S...
. Fisher personally argued major cases in state and federal appellate courts. In March 1998, he successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court a precedent-setting case ensuring that paroled criminals meet the conditions of their release.
In a 2009 documentary film about the politics behind attempts to move the Barnes Foundation art collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
called “The Art of the Steal
The Art of the Steal (film)
The Art of the Steal is a 2009 documentary film about the decades-long efforts to resolve financial problems of the Barnes Foundation, an esoteric collection of mostly Modernist and post-Impressionist artworks, resulting in the officers' decision to break Albert C. Barnes's will and relocate the...
,” Fisher admitted using improper pressure on Lincoln University
Lincoln University
Lincoln University or University of Lincoln or variations may refer to:in England*University of Lincolnin New Zealand*Lincoln University, New Zealandin the United States*Lincoln University...
officials to get them to approve the move.
2002 gubernatorial election
Fisher ran for governor of Pennsylvania in the 2002 electionPennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2002
The Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 2002 was held on November 5, 2002, and included the races for the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.-Gubernatorial Primaries:Attorney General Mike Fisher ran unopposed for the Republican nomination...
. Early in the campaign, the Republican State Committee gravitated to him as the nominee, much to the chagrin of State Treasurer
Pennsylvania Treasurer
The Pennsylvania Treasurer is the head of the Pennsylvania Department of the Treasury, which is the custodian of virtually all the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's funds....
Barbara Hafer
Barbara Hafer
Barbara Hafer is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.-Early political career:...
, who had explored a run. After Fisher won the nomination unopposed, Hafer endorsed the Democrat, Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
and later switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party. Fisher's campaign website was praised as being among the best during the 2002 election cycle.
During the campaign, he raised issues such as Pennsylvania’s growing medical malpractice insurance crisis, the need to improve public education and the necessity of property tax reform. Fisher's candidacy was unable to gain traction, and he was down in the polls by double digits throughout the fall. In the end, Fisher could not catch Rendell and lost 53.4%–44.4%.
Federal Judge
Fisher was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
to serve with Marjorie Rendell
Marjorie Rendell
Marjorie Osterlund Rendell is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and a former First Lady of Pennsylvania. In 2003, she was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women".- Personal background :Rendell was born in...
, Governor Rendell's wife. Fisher was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on May 1, 2003, to a seat vacated by Carol Los Mansmann
Carol Los Mansmann
Carol Los Mansmann was a United States federal judge.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mansmann received a B.A. from Duquesne University in 1964 and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1967. She was a law clerk to Ralph H. Smith, Jr...
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on December 9, 2003, and received commission on December 11, 2003.