President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, a United States Attorney Nominee, and United States Marshal Nominees.

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2019

President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, a United States Attorney Nominee, and United States Marshal Nominees.   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate judicial nominees, a United States Attorney nominee, and United States Marshal nominees, as follows: Robert J. Colville of Pennsylvania, to serve as District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.  Robert Colville is a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, where he currently presides over a civil litigation calendar, including complex commercial litigation matters.  Prior to joining the bench in 2000, Judge Colville practiced at Piertragallo, Bosick & Gordon, where he handled all manner of civil litigation, including products liability and insurance defense cases.  Upon graduation from law school, Judge Colville clerked for Justice Ralph J. Cappy of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  Judge Colville received his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law and his B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Stephanie L. Haines of Pennsylvania, to serve as District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.  Stephanie Haines is an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.  Ms. Haines serves as the sole prosecutor in the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Branch Office and handles a wide variety of federal criminal matters.  Ms. Haines has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.  Prior to joining the Justice Department, Ms. Haines was a member of the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where she served as both a prosecutor and defense appellate specialist.  Ms. Haines remains a reserve member of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  Ms. Haines received her J.D. from Ohio Northern University College of Law and her B.A. from Juniata College. Jason K. Pulliam of Texas, to serve as District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.  Jason Pulliam is Of Counsel with Prichard Young, where his practice focuses on complex civil litigation matters.  Prior to joining the firm in 2015, Mr. Pulliam served as a Justice on Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals and a judge for the Bexar County Court at Law, handling both civil and criminal matters.  Mr. Pulliam has also served as a member of the United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate General’s Corps, serving as defense counsel.  Mr. Pulliam received his J.D., cum laude, from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and an M.A. and B.A., cum laude, from Brooklyn College. Matthew H. Solomson of Maryland, to serve as Judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.  Matthew Solomson is Chief Legal Officer for the Federal Government Solutions business unit of Anthem, Inc.  Prior to joining Anthem in 2015, Mr. Solomson served as Associate General Counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton, in private practice at various Washington, D.C., law firms, and as a Trial Attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Solomson served as a law clerk to Judge Francis M. Allegra of the Court of Federal Claims.  Mr. Solomson received his J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of Maryland School of Law, an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland R.H. Smith School of Business, and his B.A., cum laude, from Brandeis University. David A. Tapp of Kentucky, to serve as Judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.  David Tapp is a judge on the Kentucky Court of Justice’s 28th Judicial Circuit.  While on the court, Judge Tapp has served as Chairman of the Circuit Judges Education Committee and a volunteer drug court judge.  Before joining the bench in 2005, Judge Tapp was both a solo practitioner and prosecutor in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.  Judge Tapp received his J.D. from the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, his M.S. from Chaminade University, and his B.A. from Morehead State University.  Timothy J. Downing of Oklahoma, to serve as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.  Timothy Downing is Counselor to the Oklahoma Secretary of State.  From 2016 to 2018, Mr. Downing served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives where he was an Assistant Majority Floor Leader, an Assistant Majority Whip, and Vice-Chair of Judiciary Committee.  From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Downing was an Assistant Attorney General for Oklahoma, where he represented the State of Oklahoma in criminal appeals, was a member of the Opinion Conference, and was Director of Legislative Affairs.  Since 2011, Mr. Downing has also served as a Judge Advocate in the United States Army Reserve.  In this capacity from 2013 to 2014, he served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney at Fort Hood, Texas, working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.  Mr. Downing received his J.D. from Regent University School of Law, his M.Mgt. from Oral Roberts University, and his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma. Michael East of North Carolina, to serve as United States Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  Michael East is a Forensic Investigator in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he served with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for 28 years, where he was on the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force Prevention Team and the SBI Crisis Negotiation Team.  Mr. East received his B.A. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Brent R. Bunn will serve as the United States Marshal for the District of Idaho.  Brent Bunn was most recently Sheriff of Bear Lake County, Idaho.  He was elected Sheriff of Bear Lake County in 1985, and he served eight consecutive terms until his retirement in 2017.  During his term as Sheriff, Mr. Bunn served as a President of the Idaho Sheriff’s Association and as a President of the Idaho Association of Counties.  Mr. Bunn received his B.S. from Brigham Young University.