Donetta Ambrose

Early life and education

Ambrose was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Her father, Chester Wypiski, worked at the Alcoa mill.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duquesne University in 1967 and a Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 1970.

Career as lawyer and state judge

She was a law clerk to Louis Manderino of Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania from 1970 to 1971. She was an assistant attorney general of Pennsylvania Department of Justice from 1972 to 1974, thereafter entering private practice in New Kensington until 1981. For a time in the mid-1970s, Ambrose was the only woman practicing law in Westmoreland County.

She was an assistant district attorney in the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office from 1977 to 1981, a part-time role. As a prosecutor, she was part of the team handling the "Kill for Thrill" case against John Lesko and Michael Travaglia, who were convicted of slaying four people in Western Pennsylvania in 1979 and 1980.

She was a judge of the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas from 1982 to 1993. As a state judge, she worked on hundreds of asbestos cases, fashioning a formula that helped settle most of the county's asbestos litigation. She left the state court to accept an appointment to the federal bench.

Federal judicial service

On October 25, 1993, Ambrose was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania vacated by Gerald Joseph Weber. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 20, 1993, and received her commission on November 24, 1993. Upon the elevation of D. Brooks Smith to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Ambrose became Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and served in that capacity until 2009.

While on the federal bench, Ambrose presided over the civil trial against Atlantic Richfield and Babcock & Wilcox, and others, alleging that radioactive emissions from its nuclear-fuel facility in Apollo caused a cancer cluster in the surrounding area. The case was one of the longest-running cases in the history of the U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania, running for 14 years and ultimately settling for $52.5 million.

In 2022, Ambrose presided over pretrial hearings in the federal death penalty case against Robert Bowers, who was indicted on charges of murdering 11 congregants in a gun massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

Ambrose assumed senior status (semi-retirement) on November 5, 2010.

Personal life

In her early years on the federal bench, Ambrose lived in Lower Burrell; Ambrose later moved to Oakmont.

References

References

1. {{FJC Bio. 37
2. Jennifer Reeger, [https://archive.triblive.com/news/trailblazing-marked-senior-federal-judges-career/ Trailblazing marked senior federal judge's career], ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (January 1, 2011).
3. Paula Reed Ward, [https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/alle-kiski-valleys-donetta-ambrose-legal-trailblazer-retires-from-u-s-district-court-after-28-years/ Donetta Ambrose, legal trailblazer, retires from U.S. District Court after 28 years], (February 13, 2022).
4. Donna J. Domin, [https://archive.triblive.com/news/judgment-call-ambrose-credits-hometown-for-success/ Judgment call: Ambrose credits hometown for success], ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (February 16, 2003).
5. [https://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19980812nuke5.asp Apollo cancer trial opens with tough case to prove], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' (August 12, 1998).
6. Mary Ann Thomas, [https://archive.triblive.com/news/bw-settles-radioactive-emissions-lawsuit-for-52-5-million/ B&W settles radioactive emissions lawsuit for $52.5 million], ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (April 19, 2009).
7. Torsten Ove, [https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/02/03/tree-of-life-shooting-suspect-trial-new-judge-death-penalty-case/stories/202202030100 New U.S. judge to preside over alleged Tree of Life shooter's death penalty case], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' (February 3, 2022).
8. Torsten Ove, [https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2021/11/12/tree-of-life-synagogue-shooting-suspect-robert-bowers-trial-defense-lawyers-insanity-plea/stories/202111120088 Bowers defense team won't seek insanity defense but still wants more time; judge grants another delay], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' (November 12, 2021).
9. Paula Reed Ward, [https://triblive.com/local/judge-denies-motion-to-suppress-statements-made-by-defendant-in-tree-of-life-case/ Judge denies motion to suppress statements made by defendant in Tree of Life case], ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (January 20, 2022).
10. Ambrose retired (assumed inactive senior status) on February 1, 2022, after 28 years on the federal bench. The Bowers case was randomly reassigned to a different judge upon her retirement.Torsten Ove, [https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/02/03/tree-of-life-shooting-suspect-trial-new-judge-death-penalty-case/stories/202202030100 New U.S. judge to preside over alleged Tree of Life shooter's death penalty case], ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' (February 3, 2022).