Official newsletter of the
Pennsylvania Judicial System

Issue 1, 2023

In	this	issue

Read about the formal installation of the state’s first female chief 
justice, new upgrades to the Guardianship Tracking System,  
an autism environmental analysis tool, a department spotlight on 
Office of Children and Families in the Courts and more. 

1

Justice	Debra	Todd	Formally	Installed	as	First	Female	
Chief	Justice	in	History	of	Pennsylvania	Supreme	Court

Surrounded by family, friends and 
colleagues, Pennsylvania Supreme 
Court Justice Debra Todd made 
history on Jan. 23, 2023, as she was 
formally sworn-in as Pennsylvania’s 
58th Chief Justice, becoming the 
first woman installed as chief in the 
Court’s 300-year history.

“Today my heart is full of joy and 
gratitude,” said Chief Justice Debra 
Todd. “Joy in arriving at this moment 
and gratitude for all the strong and 
determined women who paved the 
way and for those who supported me 
throughout my journey. 

“It means the world to me to take 
the oath like so many distinguished 
jurists before me, while forging new 
ground for women and reaffirming 
my commitment to support, obey and 
defend the Constitution of the United 
States and of this commonwealth,” 
said Todd. “My path to this point has 
been guided by a belief which was 
instilled in me at an early age, that 
with hard work and dedication, little 
girls could achieve anything.

“I share this historic moment with 
all Pennsylvanians, especially our 
children whose hopes and dreams 
will shape the future and make the 
world a place where nothing is out 
of reach. I realize I’m the first female 
chief justice, but I know I won’t be the 
last.”

The daughter of a steelworker and 
homemaker, Todd was born and 

2

raised in Ellwood City, Lawrence 
County and at an early age developed 
a dream of becoming a lawyer after 
working as a filing clerk for a local 
private attorney. Reflecting on the 
earliest days of her career, Todd 
fondly recalls being fascinated by the 
legal process and inspired when her 
employer encouraged her to become 
a lawyer.

“It was at that moment that a light 
went on for me and it never went out,” 
said Todd.           

Todd would go on to attend Chatham 
College, now Chatham University, 
earning her undergraduate degree 
with honors in political science and 
theater, moving on to the University 
of Pittsburgh School of Law where 
she was a member of the Law Review, 
and finally earning her LL.M. degree 
in the Judicial Process from the 
University of Virginia School of Law. 

Upon graduation, she began her 
career as an in-house litigation 
attorney for U.S. Steel Corporation 
before maintaining a trial practice 
in the city of Pittsburgh with an 
emphasis in complex civil litigation.   

According to Chief Justice Todd, 
her path to the bench from 
private practice was “exciting and 
challenging.” 

“As a proponent of the legal process, 
I naturally started looking for the next 
step – to take my love of the law to the 
next level,” Todd said.

After serving as a judge on the 
Superior Court of Pennsylvania from 

As the highest court in the 
commonwealth and the oldest 
appellate court in the nation, the 
Pennsylvania Supreme Court is 
the definitive authority in enforcing 
Pennsylvania’s Constitution and 
interpreting its laws. The Court 
supervises the entire court system 
to ensure that Pennsylvanians’ rights 
are protected and enforced through 
efficient judicial administration of the 
cases brought before them.

Congratulations to Chief Justice Todd!

2000 through 2007, Chief Justice Todd 
was elected to the Supreme Court of 
Pennsylvania in Nov. 2007 and was 
retained in 2017 for a second ten-year 
term. 

“I am proud of this Court – of the 
work that we do and the commitment 
that we share to apply the law, honor 
the constitution and simply remain 
focused on doing the right thing,” said 
Todd.

“Every case is of equal importance. 
While some may be more high profile 
than others, still others have greater 
consequences for people. We never 
lose sight of the impact that we have 
on the lives of all Pennsylvanians.”

3

Pennsylvania	Courts	Host	Webinar	on	Human	
Trafficking	and	the	Court:	The	Survivor’s	Perspective

In recognition of January’s National Slavery and Human 
Trafficking Prevention Month, the Pennsylvania Courts 
hosted a free, virtual panel with survivors of human 
trafficking in Pennsylvania to discuss how victims and 
survivors interact with the court; connections with 
domestic violence, trauma and substance use; and victim-
centered approaches to address human trafficking. 

Human trafficking, which includes exploiting persons for 
forced labor and/or commercial sex, occurs throughout 
Pennsylvania’s urban, suburban and rural communities. It is 
a type of human rights abuse where people profit from the 
exploitation of others – through the use of force, fraud or 
coercion to manipulate victims into engaging in sex acts or 
labor/services in exchange for something of value.

More than 600 participants attended the webinar, which 
was open to all Pennsylvania judges, court managers, 
supervisors, staff and justice-system partners, including 
employees in filing offices, domestic relations, adult and 
juvenile probation, sheriffs, police, victim services, district 
attorneys and more. 

Through the panelists, audience members heard candid 
discussion from survivor leaders about their experiences 
engaging with justice systems and the collateral 
consequences of human trafficking victimization, such 
as sustaining criminal convictions and the suspension 
of driver’s licenses. The vulnerabilities that increase the 
likelihood of someone being trafficked, such as familial 
sexual abuse as a child, poverty and immigration status, 
were also discussed. 

While there is much wider awareness about sex trafficking 
in the U.S., human trafficking also encompasses labor 
trafficking. In a labor trafficking situation, persons are 
exploited for cheap or unpaid labor and are sometimes 
forced to take on unreasonable debt as a condition of 
employment.

By far, the most prevalent belief about human trafficking is 
that it always involves kidnapping or otherwise physically 
forcing someone into a situation. In reality, most human 
traffickers use psychological means such as tricking, 
defrauding, manipulating or threatening victims into 
providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.

In order to best help potential victims, it is important 
to pay attention to the people who interact with our 
family, workplace and community. Understanding the 
vulnerabilities that can pave the way for victimization and 
being aware of situations that may raise red flags is key. 
Anyone can be trafficked, but it is no coincidence that 
traffickers recognize and take advantage of people in 

vulnerable situations. One suggestion panelists offered to 
improve interactions with the justice system is asking “are 
you safe?”

“Trafficking victimization is 
complicated, and victims do not always 
self-identify. The fear, shame, trauma, 
isolation and manipulation inherent in 
human trafficking can prevent a victim 
from seeking help or attempting to leave 
an exploitative situation, no matter how 
dangerous,” said Amy Kehner, AOPC 
Judicial Programs administrator. 

In Pennsylvania, trafficking survivors can petition the 
court to vacate convictions for prostitution, criminal 
trespass, disorderly conduct, loitering and prowling at 
night, obstructing highways and other public passages, 
and simple possession of a controlled substance if 
their convictions were sustained because of trafficking 
victimization.

4

Margaret T. Murphy, administrative judge, Family Court Division; Christy Stanek

front row l to r: Hon. Margaret T. Murphy
Deborah L. Canty
and Families in the Court; Sabra Townsend and Dr. Wendy Ross, JeffCAN; Hon. Deborah L. Canty
back row l to r: Hon. Wendi D. Barish
John P. Sabatina, Jr
John P. Sabatina, Jr.; Juvenile Court Hearing Officer, Jalaine Stokes
Division; Katherine Grasela

Jalaine Stokes, Esq.; Hon. Brian E. McLaughlin
Katherine Grasela, deputy court administrator, Family Court Division; and Regina Trabosh

Wendi D. Barish; Hon. Walter J. Olszewski

Brian E. McLaughlin; Lisa Harvey

Lisa Harvey, Esq., chief, Juvenile 

Regina Trabosh, Juvenile Training administrator.

Walter J. Olszewski, supervising judge, Family Court Division; Hon. Cateria R. McCabe

Cateria R. McCabe; Hon. 

Christy Stanek, deputy director, Office of Children 

Autism	and	Dependency	Court	Taskforce	Creates	Autism	
Environmental	Analysis	Tool	Being	Tested	by	Philadelphia	County

By Christy Stanek, deputy director, Office of Children and Families in the Courts

In December 2021, the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention 
estimated that 1 in 44 children have 
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 
With approximately 14,000 children in 
Pennsylvania’s dependency system, 
children and parents with autism 
are likely in every dependency court 
within the commonwealth.  

As a result, in 2021, the Pennsylvania 
State Roundtable (SRT) adopted 
autism as a priority dependency 
court issue and prioritized the issue 
for the Administrative Office of 
Pennsylvania’s Office of Children and 
Families in the Courts (OCFC). 

That same year, the SRT convened 
the Autism and the Dependency 

Courts Taskforce. The Taskforce, 
led by Supreme Court Justice Kevin 
M. Dougherty, is examining how 
the dependency court system could 
become more aware and responsive 
to the needs of children and parents 
diagnosed with ASD. 

The Taskforce is also creating 
helpful resources including multiple 
educational events and county 
tools. This article focuses on one of 
those resources – the Environmental 
Analysis tool. 

The Environmental Analysis tool 
provides a systematic method to 
examine the physical environment in 
courts and child welfare agencies that 
serve children and families with ASD. 

5

“The first step in 
effectuating any systemic 
change is communication 
and preparation. The 
Environmental Analysis 
tool was developed with 
that purpose in mind. It 
was also developed with 
an understanding of the 
diversity of courtrooms across 
Pennsylvania. I encourage 
all counties to use the tools 
being created by the Taskforce, 
including this one,” said Justice 
Dougherty.

The tool helps identify potential 
environmental sensory experiences 
and processes that may trigger a 
negative reaction for those with ASD. 
It also provides potential adjustments 
that can eliminate or mitigate 
negative experiences and triggers.  

In September 2022, the Hon. 
Margaret T. Murphy, administrative 
judge, Family Division, Court of 
Common Pleas of Philadelphia, and 
Taskforce member, volunteered to 
test the Environmental Analysis 
tool in Philadelphia’s Family Court 
Dependency Division. This testing 
included staff from Philadelphia’s 
Family Court Dependency Division, 
the Office of Children and Families in 
the Courts (OCFC) and the Jefferson 
Center for Autism and Neurodiversity 
(JeffCAN).  

“Philadelphia Family Court has 
fully embraced the Autism and the 
Dependency Court’s initiative, as a 
means to identify and better serve 
children and parents with ASD in 
all aspects of their Family Court 
experience. By participating in the 
Environmental Analysis, we aim to 
create a friendlier environment for 
individuals with autism upon their 
entrance to the courthouse and 
continuing throughout the entire 
court process so that they are 
provided with meaningful access to 
the courts,” said Judge Murphy.

Under the leadership of nationally 
recognized expert Dr. Wendy Ross, 
MD, director, Center for Autism and 
Neurodiversity, a team of seven 
JeffCAN staff created a two-part 
analysis for Philadelphia’s Family 
Court. 

Part one of the analysis examined the 
physical space of the Family Court, 
including the entrance, security 
checkpoint, elevators, various 
waiting areas and nine dependency 
courtrooms. 

Based on the team’s 
recommendations, multiple sensory 
items were purchased to support 
a neurodiverse waiting room 
in the courthouse and provide 
sensory items for each dependency 
courtroom.

Part two of the analysis occurred 
on Dec. 8, 2022. Dr. Ross and her 
team provided an individualized ASD 
support session to the Philadelphia 
dependency court judges, juvenile 
court hearing officers and court staff.  
Dr. Ross highlighted practical ways 
to implement the recommendations 
identified through the Autism 
Environmental Analysis tool. 

“The number of families impacted 
by autism keeps rising. Autism, 
even in a subtle form, impacts every 
aspect of individual and family 
functioning. Justice Dougherty’s 
leadership and comprehensive 
approach to educating the courts 
and providing resources regarding 
autism is necessary, pioneering and 
inspirational.  We were thrilled to be a 
part of this effort,” said Dr. Ross. 

“I’m grateful to Judge Murphy and the 
Philadelphia team for testing this tool 
and their commitment to creating a 
more inclusive court environment,” 
said Justice Dougherty.

The Autism and Dependency Court 
Taskforce's primary goal is to 
provide a positive dependency court 
experience for children and parents 
with ASD. To accomplish this goal, 
the Taskforce has focused on the 
following: 

•  Enhancing awareness and 

understanding.

•  Identifying children and parents 

with a diagnosis of autism.

•  Creating a "Road Map" resource 
that any county can use to begin 
their ASD system analysis and 
reform.

•  Implementing practice and system 

reform that support positive 
experiences for all children 
and parents diagnosed with 
autism within the Pennsylvania 
dependency system.

Additional Taskforce activities include 
an expansive education campaign, 
data collection via the Common 
Pleas Case Management System and 
a step-by-step County Autism Road 
Map. 

6

Editors
Stacey Witalec
Kim Bathgate

Writers
Casey Scheffler

Contributors
Patti Campbell
Rhonda Hocker
Stephen Baldwin

Graphic Design
Gretchen Smith

Photography
Kyle Kauffman

Court Administrator of PA
Geoff Moulton

Deputy Court Administrator of PA
Andrea B. Tuominen

All content is collected, written 
and edited by the AOPC 
Communications Office 
unless noted. 
You may reach the office 
by calling: (717) 231-3300 
or by emailing: 
CommunicationsOffice@pacourts.us

For more information about 
Pennsylvania’s courts, visit: 
www.pacourts.us

     Twitter @PACourts

Facebook @pennsylvaniacourts
YouTube @PACourts
Instagram @pennsylvaniacourts

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Debra Todd
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania

Christine Donohue
Justice

Kevin M. Dougherty
Justice

David N. Wecht
Justice

Sallie Updyke Mundy
Justice

P. Kevin Brobson
Justice 

Chester	County	Problem-Solving	Courts	Hold	Collaborative	Retreat

On Jan. 27, the Chester County Problem-
Solving Courts held a retreat for its core 
team members.

Under the leadership and guidance of 
Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft, Chester 
County has four problem-solving courts: 
Pretrial Drug Court, Recovery Court, Mental 
Health Court and Veteran’s Court.

The retreat included over 35 core team 
members from the Probation Office, 
District Attorney, Public Defender, Chester 
County Drug and Alcohol, Chester County 
Human Services,  City of Coatesville Police 
Department, Community Drug and Alcohol 
and Mental Health treatment providers, 
along with other essential service providers.

The retreat was a successful team-building 
event that clearly reinforced the passion 
and momentum this group puts forth on a 
daily basis. Participants said the highlight of 
the day was a motivational drum circle lead 
by one of the probation officers.  

The continued teamwork and collaboration 
by all involved within the program is quite 
evident as Chester County has a long-
standing history of successful problem-
solving courts dating back to November 
1997. To date, the county’s problem-solving 
courts have served in excess of 3,800 
justice-involved individuals.

On Jan. 12, Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio and 
President Judge Christopher Feliciani oversaw 
a ceremony celebrating the graduation of three 
participants from Westmoreland County Drug 
Treatment Court at the Westmoreland County 
Courthouse. 

“We are so proud of the outstanding 
accomplishments of our graduates,” said 
President Judge Feliciani. “Each of them have 
demonstrated that where there is a will to 
change, with perseverance and commitment, 
anything is possible.

“This graduation also reflects an incredibly 
dedicated drug treatment team of professionals 
guiding our participants each step of their 
journey.”

Since Westmoreland County Adult Drug 
Treatment Court’s inception in Sept. 2015, 64 
participants have graduated from the program. 

Westmoreland	County	Holds	Drug	Treatment	Court	Graduation	Ceremony	

Judges Feliciani and Bilik-DeFazio congratulating a treatment court participant.

7

Northumberland	County	Uses	Grants		
to	Expand	Court	Programs	and	Services		

In addition, a Magisterial District 
Truancy Court has been established 
to hold formal hearings as a last 
resort prior to dependency placement.   

The work that has been done in 
the truancy program along with 
participating as a Family Engagement 
Initiative county, has allowed the 
number of individuals in care through 
C & Y to be reduced from around 300 
to less than 100.   

Lastly, additional grants were 
obtained by the county to renovate 
the county courthouse. 

Grants were utilized to conduct a 
feasibility and engineering study for 
renovations, offset the actual cost 
of renovations to keep the historical 
nature of the courthouse and provide 
ionized clean fresh air through the 
central air system throughout the 
building. 

The grant funding allowed the county 
to maximize county dollars so that the 
law library could also be converted 
into a much-needed fourth courtroom 
and unused space outside Courtroom 
No. 1 could be transitioned into a 
conference room.   

“Success breeds success. If you 
can get one grant and show you 
did a good job implementing it, that 
opens the door for other funding. 
The grantor likes to see their funds 
spent appropriately and if you can 
demonstrate that, then they likely will 
continue to give you funding,” Skavery 
said. 

In the private sector and nonprofit 
community, grant funding can 
be a lifeline to the success and 
future of the organization – county 
governments and the courts are no 
different. Since employing a grant 
writer, Northumberland County has 
been able to secure over $10 million 
in grant funding for various county 
projects. 

The largest grant that has been 
obtained for services was the ultra-
competitive Rural Response to 
Opioid Pandemic Grant from the 
federal government. The process 
and the grant came to fruition from 
involvement in the county’s opioid 
coalition. 

“These types of grants are extremely 
important. This is especially so for 
places like Northumberland County 
which is limited on financial resources 
to properly address these issues,” 
said Justin Skavery, the county’s grant 
writer. 

The grant pulled different partners 
together to work towards a common 
goal. The courts, probation, county 
drug and alcohol and the United 
Way all worked together to start the 
program and expand into several 
different programs that have been 
developed from this grant.  

“The programs that are funded 
through these grants usually have 
some public engagement component. 
This is important because it shows 
the public that different levels of 
government (local, state and federal) 
and government partners are working 
together for the well-being of the 
community,” he said. 

Using grant funds, the county has 
been able to provide mental health 
assistance for prisoners, establish 
a vivitrol program to treat prisoners 
struggling with alcohol or opioid 
addiction and help secure transitional 
housing.

The county has also been awarded 
grants for diversionary programs 
like the Law Enforcement Treatment 
Initiative – a collaborative effort 
through the Pennsylvania Attorney 
General’s office, local police and 
county drug and alcohol department 
to connect individuals suffering 
from substance use disorder with 
treatment options.

“Successfully obtaining grants allows 
us to provide services to individuals 
that need them the most but 
realistically would not gain access,” 
said Northumberland County District 
Court Administrator Kevin O’Hearn. 

“The grants have allowed 
the courts to have access 
to different assistance and 
diversionary programs with the 
intent to help people and keep 
them from being incarcerated. 
The goal is to provide 
opportunities to people to make 
them productive members of 
society.” 

The collaboration with the United 
Way, Central Susquehanna 
Opportunities and different county 
departments has led to numerous 
successful grant awards through the 
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime 
and Delinquency (PCCD) and other 
entities.  

The courts, specifically juvenile 
probation, are also working with 
county Children and Youth (C & Y) 
through grants and other funding 
to provide truancy programs in all 
the local school districts. Juvenile 
probation assigns a probation officer 
to each school through funding 
provided by C & Y in conjunction with 
school administration to combat the 
truancy problems in schools.  

8

Legislative Roundup by Damian J. Wachter, Esq.

Members of the House and Senate were sworn in on Jan. 3 to commence the 
legislative session that will run until Nov. 30, 2024. The partisan makeup of the 
Senate is 28-22 in favor of the GOP. Readers should note that this includes the result 
of a special election won by the GOP, but the new senator is not yet sworn in.  

In the House, the makeup is 102-101 in favor of the 
Democrats. Like the Senate, it reflects the results of special 
elections, three of them, won by Democrats, but the new 
members are not yet sworn in. Importantly, the Senate 
special election referenced above was won by a House 
GOP member. Therefore, when the member resigns from 
the House to take the Senate seat, the makeup will be 102-
100 and another House vacancy will occur.  

Further uncertainty exists in the House as Republican 
leadership voted with the entire Democratic Caucus to 
elect Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) as Speaker of the House. 
Rozzi is not caucusing with either party, and his affiliated 
or independent status will be an important factor in the 
partisan makeup of the House when it reconvenes on 
February 21.  

The uncertainty in the House has resulted in the inability to 
appoint committee chairs, currently the prerogative of the 
speaker, or compose committee membership, done via the 
rules. Thus, legislation cannot be introduced, referred to a 
committee, or considered.  

The Senate was able to organize, adopt rules, appoint 
chairs and members of committees, and debate and 

consider legislation during the only week the chamber was 
in session. Legislation of interest is discussed below.  

Separate and Distinct Constitutional Amendments

Two-Year Window to Commence and Action Arising 
from Childhood Sexual Abuse

Concurrent Orders and Resolutions 

Voter ID 

Prior Passage: J.R. 2021-2 and J.R. 2022-1

Senate Bill 1 amends Art. I, § 11, opening a two-year window 
to commence an action arising from childhood sexual 
abuse that would otherwise be barred by a statutory 
limitation period. Additionally, the resolution seeks to 
amend Art. III, § 9, adding “disapproval of regulations” to 
the list of exceptions to the requirement that concurrent 
resolutions passed by the House and Senate must be 
presented to the governor for approval. Finally, the bill 
amends Art. VII, § 1, requiring valid identification to vote 
regardless of voting method.

9

Under the resolution, the Secretary of the Commonwealth 
is required to submit the amendments to the qualified 
electors as separate ballot questions at the first primary 
election at least three months after being agreed to by 
the legislature. Given that the deadline for notice and 
publication of the amendments has passed for the May 
2023 municipal primary, this language would delay the 
ballot questions until the April 2024 general primary and 
will likely be removed if further action on the bill is taken. 

The bill passed the Senate 28-20 on Jan. 11. It awaits referral 
to a committee in the House. 

Constitutional Amendment 
Election Audits 

Prior Passage: J.R. 2022-1

Senate Bill 130 amends Art. VII, adding a section to require 
the General Assembly to legislatively provide for the 
auditing of elections by the auditor general. The bill was 
reported from the Senate State Government Committee 8-3 
on Jan. 9 and awaits further Senate action. 

{Damian Wachter, Esq.  
is the director of 
Legislative Affairs.}

Movin’	on	up	

Several familiar faces within the Appellate Courts and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania 
Courts (AOPC) have been promoted into new positions.  

Chris Nace has been named the executive administrator for the Supreme Court of 
Pennsylvania. He has spent 18 years working in the court system, with the last four as the 
executive administrator of the Superior Court. 

“I am honored and excited about my new role with the Supreme Court, and I look forward to 
working with the chief justice, justices and staff members,” said Nace. 

Succeeding Nace as the new executive administrator for the Superior Court is Jennifer Traxler. 
Traxler previously worked as a York County assistant public defender prior to moving to the 
AOPC legal department in 2008. Since 2014, she served as the deputy prothonotary of the 
Superior Court’s Middle District. 

Damian Wachter has recently been named director of Legislative Affairs. Wachter has 
been with the AOPC for just over ten years, serving first as assistant director and then this 
previous year as acting director. Prior to joining the AOPC, he held staff roles in leadership and 
committees in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and spent time in the private sector 
in the government relations field.

With the retirement of Administrative Services Manager Bill Hollenbach in December, AOPC 
employee David Jones has stepped into the role of manager. Jones has been with the AOPC for 
nine years in administrative services, leading the facilities team with a strong focus on providing 
service to AOPC/IT and maintaining the AOPC’s data center.  Jones has extensive facilities 
experience with large organizations including Sunoco, Volvo Construction Equipment, CBRE 
and Oki Data Americas. 

Congratulations to Chris Nace, Jennifer Traxler, Damian Wachter and David Jones!

(top to bottom) Chris Nace, Jennifer Traxler, 
Damian Wachter, David Jones

10

New	Upgrades	to	the	Guardianship	Tracking	System	

By Amy Whitworth, AOPC/IT analyst manager

The Guardianship Tracking 
System (GTS) has recently 
received a comprehensive 
upgrade that provides 
updated security, 
enhanced user experience 
and system enhancements 
centered around court 
business and operations.  

The changes were released 
on Dec. 11, after months of 
work from AOPC/IT.  

One of the significant changes to GTS functionality 
allows a judge issuing an alert on a guardian to delay the 
electronic notification of the alert to the guardian. 

Prior to this enhancement, at the moment an alert was 
recorded in GTS, an electronic notification, accompanied 
by an email, was immediately sent to all court office staff 
with an active case for the guardian, as well as to the 
guardian him/herself. 

Now, this enhancement provides greater flexibility in who 
is immediately notified of the alert, allowing judges to 
communicate this critical information without potentially 
interfering with an ongoing investigation. 

Users will experience streamlined navigation and usability 
by viewing through tabs, working with icons and reviewing 
result sets on scrollbars.

Additional system enhancements were made to Case 
Actions, Guardian Alerts, Notifications and Ad hoc Reports 
that provides updated case processing for court staff.  

An important aspect of this upgrade is that the AOPC 
was able to offer essentially a new statewide system, with 
enhanced features and greater performance, without the 
need to expend time and funds to train staff on a new 
system. 

New tutorial videos, detailed reference documents and free 
webinars were made available to guardians and court users 
to help them navigate the new system without disrupting 
their daily operations. 

Every enhancement made to GTS has the dual goal of 
enhancing the guardian or court user experience, as well 
as leveraging the power of our systems to keep vulnerable 
people safer and to better secure their assets under court 
supervision. 

The delivery of the new GTS was a coordinated release in 
alignment with changes to the annual reports guardians 
must submit. These report changes were adopted by the 
Pennsylvania Supreme Court at the recommendation of 
the Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee, working 
in conjunction with the GTS Governance Committee led by 
Senior Judge Paula Francisco Ott. 

An example of the changes to the mandatory reports 
facilitates the collection of the incapacitated person’s 
physical location at the time the inventory of assets is filed. 
The collection of this information at the inventory filing 
provides for greater understanding of the incapacitated 
person’s wellbeing and circumstance much earlier in the 
monitoring process. 

Continuing to hone our statistical capabilities better 
informs the Advisory Council on Elder Justice, and other 
stakeholders responsible for guardianship reform, leading 
to data-driven solutions aimed at improving the lives of 
those living under a guardianship.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA’S COURTS, VISIT: 

www.pacourts.us

Facebook 
@pennsylvaniacourts

YouTube 
@PACourts

Twitter 
@PACourts

Instagram 
@pennsylvaniacourts

11

Re-establishing	the	Magisterial	Districts		

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, with the assistance of the AOPC, is in the final stages of completing the magisterial 
district re-establishment project – also referred to as realignment or redistricting. 

Re-establishment is the process by which Pennsylvania's judicial districts, according to statute, review the number and 
boundaries of the magisterial districts within each of the Commonwealth’s 60 judicial districts. It takes place following 
the official reporting of the decennial U.S. census. Only the First Judicial District (Philadelphia), which has no magisterial 
district judges (MDJs), does not participate.

This comprehensive and demanding analysis helps ensure the effective administration of justice in the magisterial districts 
throughout the commonwealth, and that the current configuration of each magisterial district will appropriately serve its 
residents over the next decade.

While many proposals recommended maintaining the status quo, others recommended the shifting of boundaries to more 
equitably distribute the workload among the MDJs in a county. Likewise, some requested to eliminate one or more districts 
in their county or, where necessary, add a district.

Some summary takeaways from the 2021-22 re-establishment project are as follows:

•  38 counties re-established, or maintained the existing boundaries of all magisterial districts.

•  18 counties opted to re-align some or all of their magisterial districts.

•  Seven counties eliminate at least one magisterial district.

•  One judicial district (Lehigh County) added a magisterial district, to be filled in the municipal election of 2023. Lehigh 

County is also one of the seven counties eliminating a magisterial district.

It’s important to note that proposals can become effective immediately upon issuance of the final order, or in the future, 
when a sitting MDJ’s term expires, or he or she reaches mandatory retirement age. 

The AOPC and the Judicial District Operations and Programs department would like to recognize the time and hard work 
that the president judges, court administration and magisterial district judges put into their plans to ensure balanced and 
equitable workloads within their districts.

County proposals and final orders are available for review at www.pacourts.us/courts/minor-courts/realignment-orders.

12

13

Northampton	Judge	Wins	Title	for	Harness	Racing

Northampton County Common Pleas 
Judge Anthony Beltrami was recently 
voted United States Harness Writers 
Association’s Amateur Driver of the 
Year for 2022.

Beltrami was first introduced to the 
sport of harness racing in childhood 
by his father, who would take him and 
his three brothers to watch the races. 

“I fell in love with the sport the first 
time I saw a race,” Beltrami said. 

His interest continued to grow when 
his father got his driver’s license to 
race and bought a stable of his own 
horses. During college summers, 
Beltrami kept his passion alive by 
taking care of and training racehorses 
for a stable at Pocono Downs. 

“I was considering harness racing as a 
career, but decided to go to law school 
as something to fall back on. When 
I did well in law school, I decided 
to pursue a career in the law, with 
harness racing as something to fall 
back on,” he said. 

He was reintroduced to the sport in 
2013 when a trainer friend opened 
a harness racing training center in 
Northampton County. He got his 
driver’s license the following year.  

He explained that each horse is an 
individual that responds differently to 
things, so you have to figure out how 
to communicate with each of them by 
the way you handle them. 

“In the beginning, it was hard to 
get owners and trainers to give me 
a chance to drive.  Once I started 
winning races though, I started getting 
better horses to drive and more 
opportunities to drive.” 

Beltrami said that some things he 
learned in racing have naturally spilled 
over into his role as judge. 

“To be a good driver, you have to be 
alert, intuitive, focused and patient.  I 
think you need the same qualities to 
be effective in your role as a judge,” he 
said. 

Northampton County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Beltrami 

Beltrami had his best year as a driver in 2022, visiting the winner’s circle 36 
times in amateur competition, racing with the top clubs in the Northeast. 

As for his future plans, he plans on racing as long as he is physically able to.  

“My parents always taught me that you can succeed in anything if you commit 
yourself to success.  Driving racehorses is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever 
learned to do, and I was not that good in the beginning.  But like anything else, I 
committed myself to succeeding, and it all worked out.”

Beltrami received the United States Harness Writers Association’s Amateur 
Driver of the Year for 2022 Award at the Dan Patch Awards Banquet on Feb. 19 
at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

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D E PA R T M E N T   S P O T L I G H T: 

Office	of	Children	and	
Families	in	the	Courts

l to r: Elke Moyer, Stephanie Strayer, Christy Stanek, Sandra Moore, Jennifer Eichenlaude, Jennifer Doyle, Diane Litzinger, Cori Dunn

The Office of Children and Families in the Courts (OCFC) 
seeks to ensure that every child grows up in a safe, 
nurturing and permanent family.

OCFC assists and supports judicial districts in the 
identification and implementation of best practices that 
promote safety, wellbeing and timely permanence for 
dependent children. Since 2006, OCFC has helped save 
$83 million annually through a 30 percent decrease in the 
number of children awaiting permanency.

In addition, OCFC supports the Children’s Roundtable 
Initiative – a three-tiered infrastructure that allows for 
effective administration and communication between local, 
regional and statewide representatives with expertise 
in dependency matters. This includes local Children’s 
Roundtables, Leadership Roundtables and a State 
Roundtable. 

convened to study and relay consequent findings and 
recommendations about a specific area of dependency and 
child wellbeing. Recent workgroup areas include: autism, 
kinship care, hearing officer education, trauma, drug and 
alcohol, dependency bench book and congregate care.

In recognition of the integral role courts play in charting the 
course for children who are the subject of abuse, neglect, 
foster care, termination of parental rights and adoption 
proceedings, OCFC is primarily funded via a federal Court 
Improvement Program grant. The program provides 
resources and technical assistance to enhance and 
promote innovation in court operations and practices. 

Major areas of focus include supporting judicial leadership, 
collaborating with interdependent systems, educating the 
bench and bar, enhancing decision making with data and 
promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution.

This structure facilitates the identification of statewide 
issues that impact child permanency.  When a statewide 
issue is identified, statewide roundtable workgroups are 

more	information

For more information, visit https://ocfcpacourts.us/. 

15

Tips for More Effective 
Time Management

Excerpt reprinted with permission from BHS Focus 2022 

When daily tasks build up and you feel overwhelmed, it’s difficult to know where to begin. To make things more 
complicated, you may find yourself easily distracted by activities that are more fun or help you avoid doing what must be 
done. 

You may also be struggling to focus on completing one task at a time, instead trying to accomplish too much all at once, 
which can prevent you from succeeding.

There are many fast and easy ways to help you reorganize, prioritize, and start being productive. If you incorporate even 
a few of the recommendations below into your attempts to better manage your time, you'll start creating small successes 
that lead to big changes and even more time to spend on the things you enjoy most!

For better time management:

1.  Create a list of priorities on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis.

2.	 Be	sure	your	list	is	organized	so	that	the	most	important	and	time	pressing	items	will	be	completed	first.	

For example, before you decide to do a task, think to yourself, “What should I be doing right now?” Let that 
thought be your guide as you look for which task to do next.

3.	

If	you’re	having	trouble	getting	started,	pick	an	easy	task	and	when	you’re	done,	check	it	off	your	list.	After	
one or two of these, you will begin to feel the accomplishment that comes with completing a task and will 
have	the	motivation	to	approach	the	more	difficult	items.

4.	 Arrange	your	work	day	so	that	you	can	keep	interruptions	to	a	minimum.	Try	to	turn	on	your	voicemail	at	

certain	times	to	avoid	getting	off	task.

5.	 Schedule	a	specific	time	to	check	and	reply	to	emails	to	avoid	frequent	interruptions.

6.	 Set	deadlines	and	create	a	daily/hourly	workflow	schedule	to	ensure	your	task	will	be	completed	before	that	

deadline.

7.  Be realistic about your daily energy patterns. Complete important tasks when your energy is at its peak, and 

then save more routine tasks for when your energy is lower.

Factors that can hinder productivity:

always getting it done perfectly.

possible.

1.  Don’t be too much of a perfectionist as you move through tasks. Focus on getting the task done, rather than 

2.  Don’t take on everything yourself; delegate duties to appropriate coworkers or people in your life, when 

3.	 Don’t	get	off	track.	Learn	to	say	“no”	instead	of	sacrificing	valuable	time.

4.  Don’t spend too much time on minor decisions. Save nit-picking for bigger things.

5.	 Don’t	burn	yourself	out.	Take	breaks	and	go	for	a	quick	walk,	talk	to	a	friend,	eat	a	nice	lunch,	etc.	Giving	

your brain a rest and rejuvenating your body will make you more productive in the long run.

Try out the tips and see which ones help you most. Do you recognize any that have helped before? Mix and match or add 
your own; either way, it’s time to increase your productivity, knock those items off your to-do list, and let go of unnecessary 
stress.

16

COSCA offers new guidance for courting public 
trust and confidence through communication 

To help courts establish themselves as a trusted source for 
information, the Conference of State Court Administrators 
(COSCA) has published new guidance for developing 
timely, accurate and understandable communication.

In “Courting Public Trust and Confidence: Effective 
Communication in the Digital Age,” COSCA examines three 
types of “bad information”—disinformation, malinformation, 
and misinformation—and provides guidance on how to 
respond without compromising the integrity of the court.

“Now, more than ever, it is critical for courts to take a 
proactive approach to communication,” said Karl R. Hade, 
COSCA president and Executive Secretary of the Supreme 
Court of Virginia. “It is up to us as judicial leaders to 
position the court as the trusted source of information.”

The paper suggests that courts need to break away from 
traditional responses, such as silence, allowing orders/
opinions to speak for themselves, an indirect response 
through a proxy, and limiting public information officers to 
“no comment” replies.

Instead, COSCA says, courts should look to these 
guidelines for effective communication with today’s 
audiences:

•  Increase social media presence.

•  Continue to expand civics education activities.

Additionally, COSCA provides several recommendations for 
combating bad information:  

•  Consider judicial code of conduct amendments that 

would allow judicial officers to directly respond to bad 
information and targeted campaigns based on bad 
information.

•  Provide best practices training for court staff and judges 
on how to respond to bad information and defuse heated 
media coverage.

•  Develop a communications plan and trained team to 

help courts monitor and respond to bad information and 
publicize positive information in a variety of formats.

•  Consider establishing a media committee with media 

organizations, journalists, attorneys, and representatives 
of the court.

•  Offer plain language summaries of appellate opinions 

and high-interest trial court cases.

•  Provide greater transparency in all cases, but particularly 

•  Use summaries directed to a general audience.

for high-profile cases.

•  Provide transparency in more cases but particularly in 

high-profile or high-stakes cases.

For more information on this paper and others, visit the 
COSCA website.

•  Respond promptly to bad information.

•  Use a restrained response to undue criticism of the court 

system or of a specific judicial officer.

Reprinted with permission from the National Center for State Courts newsletter – @ the Center.

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Around	the	Judiciary

In Fayette County, Judge Steve P. Leskinen was sworn-in 
as President Judge by Judge John F. Wagner, Jr., who also 
unveiled his portrait that will hang in Courtroom No. 2.

A	proud	moment	as	a	judge	and	a	mother,	Lehigh	
County Common Pleas Judge Michele A. Varricchio 
participated in the swearing-in ceremonies for the 
opening day of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session 
on Jan. 3. Included in the group was her son, Nick 
Miller, the newly elected senator in the 14th District. 

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Justice P. Kevin Brobson 
met with Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Christopher Shea 
Nickell and his wife, Dr. Carolyn Sue Watson, as well as 
members of the Pa. Lions State Council, as they toured the 
state capitol, including the Supreme Court Courtroom. Justice 
Nickell was in Pa. to attend a Pa. Lions State Council dinner in 
Hershey as a special guest.  

18

Pennsylvania 
Supreme Court 
Justice Sallie 
Mundy swearing 
in members of the 
Senate Republican 
Caucus on Jan. 3. 

Love is in the air! For the third year in a row, Berks County 
Magisterial District Judge Eric Taylor spent Valentine’s Day 
officiating	back-to-back	weddings	–	a	tradition	he	hopes	to	
continue for years to come.

City and State 
Pennsylvania 
recently 
recognized 
Superior Court 
Judge Carolyn 
Nichols as one 
of the state’s 
most influential 
leaders in the 
2023 Power of 
Diversity: Black 
100 list.

This list recognizes the most influential 
Black Pennsylvanians in politics, 
nonprofits, business and other arenas.

Nichols began her term on the Superior 
Court in early 2018 after serving as a 
judge on the Philadelphia County Court 
of Common Pleas since 2011.

Her public service experience spans 
decades, including time as Philadelphia 
Housing Development Corporation’s 
legal counsel, deputy secretary of 
external affairs for the Philadelphia 
Mayor’s Office and assistant city 
solicitor.

Nichols is a member of the International 
Association of Women Judges, the 
National Association of Women Judges, 
the National Bar Association Judicial 
Council and the Philadelphia Bar 
Association.

19

On	Feb.	1,	AOPC’s	Data	Governance	Committee	conducted	a	
training for departmental data stewards and data users at the 
PJC.	The	objective	of	the	training	was	to	update	data	users	
on the policies and procedures for data management, and to 
launch	the	AOPC	Technology	Sharing	Library	–	a	new	internal	
platform that acts as a central repository of data visualization/
graphics tools and related software. 

In October, a father and son duo worked 
simultaneous shifts at Pittsburgh Municipal 
Court. Senior District Judge Randy Martini 
adjudicated cases in domestic violence 
court, while his son, District Judge Nicholas 
Martini, adjudicated criminal court cases at 
the same time.

AOPC staff Kelly McClain, Andrew Ginder, Kim Nieves and 
Ami Levin

Have a photo or story idea? 

We	are	always	looking	for	story	ideas	or	photos	of	staff	and	judges	out	and	about	in	the	
community.  Send us an email with the scoop! CommunicationsOffice@pacourts.us.

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http://www.pacourts.us/judicial-administration/office-of-communications-and-
intergovernmental-relations/aopconnected

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