Karoline Mehalchick appointed to chief magistrate judge of the Middle District of Pa. Updated Dec 28, 2020; Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick on Jan. 4, 2021, will become chief magistrate judge of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Mehalchick will serve a term of four years and succeeds Judge Susan Schwab as chief magistrate judge, a press release said. Mehalchick was appointed a U.S. magistrate judge by the United States District Court on July 15, 2013. Prior to joining the bench, Mehalchick was in private practice, where she litigated civil and commercial disputes in state and federal courts, according to the release. Since joining the bench of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Judge Mehalchick has helped spearhead the Court’s Prisoner Litigation Settlement Program, presides over the Scranton vicinage’s CARE Court, and serves on various court committees. Additionally, she is a member of the Magistrate Judge Advisory Group of the Administrate Office of the United States Courts and is active in the Federal Bar Association, the release said.