From 1972 to 1982, he worked for the district attorney in
Onondaga County,
New York, becoming a senior assistant distract attorney in 1974 and chief prosecutor in 1976. He was a county court judge from 1982 to 1988, and a
State Supreme Court Justice in Onondaga County from 1986 to 1998.
Military service Mordue earned the
Purple Heart, the
Bronze Star, and the
Distinguished Service Cross while serving as a
captain in the
U.S. Army in the
Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968.
Federal judicial service Upon the recommendation of Senator
Alfonse D'Amato, President
Bill Clinton nominated Mordue to replace
Rosemary S. Pooler on the
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York in July 1998. Mordue was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on October 21, 1998, received his commission on October 22, 1998, and took office on December 4, 1998. He took
senior status on June 30, 2013. He was
Chief Judge of the court from 2006 to 2011. ==Notable cases==