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FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
President Judge Administrative Order
Amended No 33 of 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
In re: Resumption of Court Proceedings. Critical Functions. Updated Protocols.
ORDER
AND NOW, this 21st day of May, 2020 this Court’s Order dated March 15, 2020 is
amended to read as follows: consistent with the terms of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s order
of April 28, 2020 (Nos. 531 and 532 Judicial Administration Docket), it is ORDERED AND
DECREED THAT:
(1) Civil and Criminal Jury Trials are suspended through September 8, 2020. Jury duty is
cancelled through September 8, 2020. Jurors summoned before September 8, 2020 do not
need to report for jury duty.
(2) City of Philadelphia L&I and Lead Contamination Violation cases, Landlord Tenant
Appeals, and PennDOT Appeals listed in Courtroom 446 City Hall are postponed. Those
cases listed from March 16, 2020 through September 7, 2020 will be rescheduled.
(3) Unless counsel are notified specifically to the contrary, all in person criminal, civil, orphans’
court, municipal court and traffic court trials, hearings, and conferences scheduled through
July 6, 2020 are administratively canceled and shall be rescheduled. Cases may be scheduled
using Advanced Communication Technology for dates certain. Parties shall receive
notification of their rescheduled hearing date(s). If you are a party or a witness, and before
March 16, 2020 received subpoenas, summons and/or notice to appear during the month of
June 2020 at City Hall, the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice, Municipal Court,
the Widener Building and Traffic Division, you are NOT required to appear during the
month of June2020.
s to Family Court, all matters that were given a date certain by notice issued prior to
March 16, 2020 for any date from March 17, 2020 through December 31, 2020, are
hereby administratively canceled and will be rescheduled. Parties will receive
notification of their rescheduled hearing date(s). This does not apply to cases
designated as protracted, which remain as scheduled.
4) The Sequestration Program is suspended until further notice, and any conference or hearing
scheduled will be rescheduled.
(5) Filing of legal papers in person at filing offices is suspended for the protection of court staff
and court users until further order of the court. However, all legal papers may be filed, as
applicable, through the following electronic filing systems which are fully operational: Civil
Electronic Filing System, Criminal Electronic Filing System, and Orphans’ Court Electronic
Filing System. Legal papers may also be mailed to the applicable filing office as authorized
by rules of court.
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(6) As provided by the Supreme Court Order of April 28, 2020, the suspension of time
requirements, time limitations or filing deadlines expired on May 11, 2020. Provided
however, a default judgement cannot be entered before June 15, 2020. Any Notice of Intent
required by Pa.R.C.P. 237.1 sent before May 11, 2020, must be resent.
(7) Pursuant to Governor Wolf’s May 7, 2020 Executive Order, effective May 11, 2020, the
notices mandated by Act 6 and Act 91 are stayed for 60 days thereby delaying the filing of
new mortgage foreclosure cases until July 10, 2020.
(8) Pursuant to Governor Wolf’s May 7, 2020 Executive Order, effective July 10, 2020, the
Court of Common Pleas and the Philadelphia Municipal Court shall accept for filing new
nonresidential landlord-tenant cases and residential landlord-tenant cases in which the leased
property is not a “covered property” under Section 4024 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”).
(9) Effective July 26, 2020, the Court of Common Pleas and the Philadelphia Municipal Court
shall accept for filing residential landlord-tenant cases in which the leased property is a
“covered property” under the CARES Act. In compliance with the CARES Act, no trial will
be scheduled before August 26, 2020.
(10) No final disposition may be entered in ejectment actions filed after March 16, 2020 until
July 10, 2020. No hearings will take place before July 10, 2020.
(11) The issuance of residential writs of possession and the execution or enforcement of
residential writs of possession which were stayed by orders issued on March 15, 2020 (Nos.
7 and 8 of 2020 and April 22, 2020 (NO. 31 of 2020) will resume upon the expiration of
Governor Wolf’s Stay-At-Home Order to Philadelphia, or July 10, 2020, whichever date is
later.
In actions raising landlord-tenant, ejectment and mortgage foreclosure claims filed in the
Court of Common Pleas before May 11, 2020, no final disposition may be ordered until July
10, 2020.
(12)
Small claims cases other than consumer purchase (“SC/CP”) cases may be filed in the
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Philadelphia Municipal Court’s Civil Division beginning on May 19, 2020 as follows:
a) Electronic filers will continue to be required to file those cases electronically through
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CLAIMS.
(b) Non-electronic filers will be able to file in person or by mail. Those persons wishing
to file in person must call the court (215-686-2910) to make an appointment. Calls
for an appointment may be made beginning on May 19, 2020, but no appointments
will be scheduled until on or after July 1, 2020. Those persons who want to file by
mail must also call the court (215-686-2910) to request that a packet be mailed to
them. The completed packets may be mailed back at any time.
(c) Landlord-tenant cases may also be filed in the same manner as small claims cases
subject to the timing set forth in Paragraph 8 above.
(d) Code Enforcement and SC/CP cases may not be filed until the court has located a
larger space outside of the Widener Building in which to schedule those cases.
(e) Cases that must be filed so that they are not jeopardized by the running of the
applicable statute of limitation may be filed in accordance with the Philadelphia
Municipal Court’s notice titled “Filing of Cases in the Philadelphia Municipal Court
to Toll the Statute of Limitation.” See www.courts.phila.gov/covid-19.
(14) Orphan’s Court Process
a) All Orphans’ Court monthly Audits scheduled for June 1, 2020, July 6, 2020 and
August 3, 2020 are suspended and will be rescheduled.
b) Accounts with petitions for adjudication/statements of proposed distribution, as well
as other petitions and motions, may be e-filed through the Orphans’ Court Electronic
Filing System and may be entertained by the assigned Orphans’ Court Judge if the
same can be determined without in-court physical testimony/appearance, provided all
interested parties so agree as shall be proven to the satisfaction of the assigned Judge.
c) The emergency citation practice for emergencies only, as defined and established
under paragraph 8H of this Court’s March 17th Order and its subsequent
amendments, remains suspended.
d) The resumption of non-emergency procedures shall commence upon further notice
from this Court or the Administrative Judge of the Orphans’ Court Division upon the
return to the usual citation operation by the Clerk of Orphans’ Court.
e) Review of guardian reports and inventories, together with resulting protective actions,
shall resume immediately. Review of petitions and motions shall resume
immediately provided that: there is no pro se litigant in interest and the appropriate
time for response has lapsed, or, where all parties/litigants agree that the matter may
be determined, as proven to the satisfaction of the assigned Judge.
f) The Administrative Judge of Orphans’ Court is authorized to make such further
provisions, consistent with this Order and the PA Supreme Court Order.
(15) The First Judicial District will continue to decide essential matters as set forth in this
Court’s previous Orders issued in connection with the Judicial Emergency, which remain in
effect to the extent they are not supplanted by this order or by the protocols announced via
Notices to the Bar. The protocols for the filing of emergencies established in those Orders
also remain in effect.
(16) During June 2020, the First Judicial District may expand the operations beyond the
previously listed essential services. Any expansion will be with ample notice and in a
manner to minimize the public’s presence in any court facility.
(17) Detailed protocols have been established regarding the operation of court business
without creating unreasonable risks to the health or safety of court personnel, attorneys, court
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users, or the general public and are available via Notices to the Bar which are posted on the
First Judicial District’s website at www.courts.phila.gov/covid-19 and at @PhilaCourts on
Twitter.
(18) To the extent that in-person access to court proceedings is restricted or not available,
proceedings to which a right to public and press access would otherwise exist will be made
available through the live-stream or recording of the proceeding or through the official record
of the proceedings produced by the court reporter as provided by rules of court. A list of
proceedings available to the public through advanced communication technologies shall be
posted from time to time on the Court’s website at www.courts.phila.gov/covid-19.
BY THE COURT:
/s/ Idee C. Fox
__________________________________________
Idee C. Fox, President Judge
Chair, Administrative Governing Board
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
President Judge, Court of Common Pleas,
Philadelphia County
