[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 1, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  IN RECOGNITION OF JUDGE THOMAS MUNLEY FOR HIS SERVICE TO LACKAWANNA 
                                 COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 1, 2022

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, today I honor Judge Thomas J. Munley 
who, after 16 years on the bench, recently retired from the Lackawanna 
County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Munley is beloved by his colleagues 
and community as a fair and skilled jurist who treats everyone with 
respect and dignity.
  A native Northeastern Pennsylvanian, Judge Munley graduated from 
Jessup High School in 1964. He continued his studies at East 
Stroudsburg University, graduating in 1968 with a degree in education. 
Judge Munley returned to his hometown to teach at his alma mater from 
1968 to 1969. In 1969, he was drafted to serve in the Army and was sent 
to Vietnam on an 11-month tour as an infantryman with the 11th Infantry 
Brigade, Americal Division. For his meritorious service in Vietnam, he 
was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
  After returning home from military service in 1971, Judge Munley 
enrolled in law school at Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, 
Louisiana. He earned his JD and was admitted into the Pennsylvania Bar 
in 1974. From 1976 to 1979, he served as Assistant Public Defender in 
Lackawanna County. In 1979, Judge Munley founded his own law practice 
and was renowned as a fiercely competent defense attorney, a formidable 
opponent in the courtroom.
  In 2005, after 25 years at his own practice, Judge Munley ran for the 
seat on the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas. He won the 
Democratic and Republican nominations in the May primary and easily 
prevailed in the November election. Judge Munley quickly earned the 
respect of his colleagues on the court, building on his acclaimed 
reputation as an attorney. The integrity and principle with which he 
conducted himself on the bench led his colleagues to elect him 
president-judge in 2011.
  Inspired by his own time in the service and his experience as a 
veteran, Judge Munley has been a longtime, fierce advocate for veterans 
and their families. Since 2014, he has hosted the popular television 
program ``Veterans Views'' on NBC/WBRE-TV which aims to inform those 
who have served about the benefits and services to which they are 
entitled. He often receives a deluge of calls after the show from 
veterans seeking assistance, and he diligently calls them back. He is 
also a proud member of the American Legion and the VFW.
  On January 1, 2022, Judge Munley retired to senior status as required 
by Pennsylvania's mandatory retirement age of 75. In his role of senior 
judge, he will serve in every county where the state Supreme Court 
grants him authority to hear matters. He also plans to continue his 
work on behalf of veterans and their families in his retirement.
  I am honored to recognize the judicial career and lifetime of public 
service of Judge Thomas Munley. It is a privilege to call him a 
colleague in the legal profession, and I join with the entirety of 
Lackawanna County in thanking him for his service to his country and 
his community. May he continue to find fulfillment and purpose in this 
new chapter of his life.

                          ____________________