Issue 1, 2019

newsletter of the administrative office of pa courts

2019-2020 Judicial 
Budget Request

In 2018 Pennsylvania courts . . .

reduced number of 
days in care by 

951

thousand

saved more than

$40
million

in federal, state and 
county dollars.

reduced number of 
children in care by 

4,300

utilized a social media 
outreach campaign to 
educate the public about 

protection 
orders . 

PA COURTS
CAN HELP

The campaign included digital ads on Facebook, Instagram and Google, pointing users 
to detailed step-by-step videos available in both English and Spanish on how to file 
protection orders. The campaign was federally funded by the STOP Grant program 
through the U.S Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

facilitated 

40,443

requests for interpreters.

designed and developed the 

Guardianship 
Tracking System 

 which protects vulnerable citizens 
by improving how the courts monitor 
legal guardians and simplifying  
the filing process.

AOPConnected takes a look at the Unified Judicial System’s 
2019-20 budget request to the legislative and executive branches.

Funding 
Sources

Since 2009, fee revenue has been used 
to fund a portion of the judiciary’s annual 
budget, currently about 13% of the total.

Proposed 2019-20 Budget

$371.5 
million 
State tax funds

Total budget $487.3

$113.9  
million
Fees

$1.9 
million
Federal funds

The judiciary receives about 
½ of 1% of the state budget. 

Saving Tax 
Dollars

The judiciary is committed to 
spending taxpayer dollars wisely, 
and has saved over $10 million in 
the past year.

$5.46 million
Realignment of magisterial 
district courts

$3.4 million 
Benefits/salary

$1.29 million 
Contract savings 

$440,000
Other/personnel

Over the past 11 years, 
the judiciary has saved 
$102.4 million.

2

2

Senior Judge 
Assignments Fall

A two-year pilot program began in July 
2018 to review the use of senior judges 
within the Courts of Common Pleas, using 
data from the Judicial Needs Assessment 
(JNA).

Comparing month-to-month data from 
2017-2018, the period of July to October 
saw a more than 12% decrease in the 
number of assignments.

The JNA is also available for use in 
helping to determine whether county 
judicial complements are appropriate.

Senior judge assignments
saw a more than

12%

decrease

from July to October, 2017 to 2018.

Collections
Rise

Collecting fines, fees, costs and 
restitution is a priority for the judiciary – 
with $483 million collected in 2018 alone.  
These dollars flow back into the state 
budget and Pennsylvania communities, 
and to victims of crimes.

State  ($239 million)

Local governments  ($201 million)

Victims of crime  ($39 million)

Airports, parking authorities, libraries, 
schools, etc. ($3.9 million)

Over the past 10 years, 
the judiciary has  
collected $4.65 billion.

3

3

Problem-Solving Courts

In 2017 . . .

1,576

participants graduated successfully   
from problem-solving court programs.

32,506

Among successful graduates,

hours of community service 
completed by problem-solving 
court participants.

541

became employed between 
admission and discharge.

378

of the participants discharged in 2017 
improved their level of education between 
time of admission and discharge.

Breaking New Ground 
in Judicial Education

Pennsylvania judges
attended

37,672

total hours of 
continuing education.

Topics of judicial education:

Autism, Bail,

Fairness and Access,
Mental Health,

PFAs, Security,

Self-Representation

and Trauma

Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor
Justice Max Baer
Justice Debra Todd
Justice Christine Donohue
Justice Kevin M. Dougherty
Justice David N. Wecht
Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy

4

Combating 
elder abuse in 
Pennsylvania 

The Advisory Council on Elder 
Justice in the Courts’ latest Progress 
Report published in January details 
the efforts of the Advisory Council 
and the Office of Elder Justice in the 
Courts (OEJC) since the creation of 
the initial Elder Law Task Force in 
2013. 

Of the 130 recommendations made 
in the Elder Law Task Force’s Report, 
70 have been completed and 35 are 
currently in progress. 

“This report is evidence of 
Pennsylvania’s strong commitment 
to protecting its elders,” said 
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice 
Debra Todd. “I am deeply grateful to 
all those who have contributed to the 
many successes detailed in the report, 
and who are affecting real change 
in the way that our commonwealth 
combats elder abuse.” 

Enhanced judicial 
administration

One of the most notable achievements 
of the Advisory Council has been the 
creation and implementation of the 
Guardianship Tracking System (GTS), 
which will allow the courts to better 
monitor active guardianships through a 
uniform statewide process. 

As of December, the GTS has 
successfully launched in all counties 
statewide. 

Among the system’s numerous 
advantages are the ability for 
guardians to file annual reports and 
inventories online, as well as the ability 
for judges to effectively communicate a 
concern regarding a specific guardian 
in the form of a statewide alert.

Another judicial automation 
enhancement of note is the update 
to both the common pleas and 
magisterial district judge case 
management systems to track cases in 

(l to r) Judge Lois Murphy, Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper, Judge Paula Francisco Ott, Justice Debra Todd

which at least one of the victims is age 
60 or older. 

Additionally, the Supreme Court 
approved a proposal to begin a pilot 
Elder Court Project in Philadelphia, 
which included the creation of the 
Elder Justice & Civil Resource Center 
that opened in 2016. Through the 
Center, volunteer attorneys and 
advocates provide direct services 
on legal issues as they relate to 
elders including training programs 
on landlord/tenant, mental health 
issues and financial exploitation. Since 
opening, the center has provided 
assistance to hundreds of elders and 
their families.

judges and court staff on elder abuse 
and exploitation, and has piloted 
training for family and lay guardians 
about their powers, duties and 
responsibilities. 

Furthermore, educational material 
including brochures and posters were 
created by the OEJC and distributed to 
all common pleas, magisterial district 
and municipal courts.

“The Advisory Council and OEJC are 
committed to increasing awareness 
about the warning signs of elder abuse 
and how to report it to help protect 
vulnerable elders in Pennsylvania,” said 
Director of the OEJC, Cherstin Hamel.

Education efforts

Best practices

As part of their continuing efforts 
to help educate judges, court staff, 
attorneys, guardians, the public and 
others about the warning signs of elder 
abuse, the Advisory Council and the 
OEJC have worked closely with the 
AOPC/Judicial Education team.

Together, they have developed and 
conducted statewide training programs 
for judges handling guardianship 
cases. In addition, the Advisory 
Council will be releasing (in early 2019) 
two judicial resources – a Guardian 
Benchbook and an Elder Abuse 
Benchbook. 

The OEJC has also developed and 
presented educational sessions for 

Numerous and significant best 
practices were adopted and 
implemented that will help ensure the 
protection of Pennsylvania’s elders 
– including the holding of periodic 
hearings to monitor the status of a 
guardianship, timely completion and 
filing of inventories and annual reports, 
the provision of oral and written 
instructions to guardians at their time 
of appointment.

While there is still work to be done, this 
report offers a moment of reflection on 
the magnitude and significance of the 
steps that are being taken to better 
protect Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing 
population of elders. 

5

Martial arts for the 
mouth and mind
Treating people with dignity and respect 

The AOPC held its second 
largest webinar to date 
with over 200 employees 
participating. The hour-long 
webinar, “Verbal Judo” 
was led by Judicial District 
Security Analyst, Kyle 
Ramberger.

The webinar aimed to 
teach court staff how 
to appropriately and 
effectively handle verbal 
confrontation with the end 
goal of generating voluntary 
compliance.

Ramberger explained 
that the idea for the 
webinar stemmed from 
Judicial Security’s review 
of Pennsylvania Judicial 
Incident Reporting System 
(PAJIRS) reports, which 
indicated that the leading 
security incident court staff 
experienced over the past 
five years was inappropriate 
verbal conduct. 

“Once I learned this, I sought 
information on verbal conflict 
de-escalation techniques 
and verbal judo seemed 
to be the best option for 
our audience,” Ramberger 
explained. 

Verbal judo provides 
participants with the tools 
needed to defuse verbal 
aggression before it 
escalates.”

Additionally, the webinar 
included common phrases 
that people should refrain 
from using, along with 
alternative phrases that 
could help defuse the 
situation rather than escalate 
it.

The webinar was very well-
received and employees 
submitted positive feedback. 
A second verbal judo 
webinar will be offered in 
early 2019. 

Kyle Ramberger, Judicial District 
Security Analyst

The webinar concluded with 
a Q & A session, along with 
some security tips to use 
when verbal judo doesn’t 
work, reminding court staff 
to check their court duress 
systems monthly and to 
report all security incidents 
in PAJIRS. 

Five universal truths  
of human interaction

People feel the need 
to be respected 

People would rather 
be asked than told 

People have a desire 
to know why 

People prefer to have 
options over threats

People want to have 
a second chance 

Instead of saying:

“Come here!”

Try saying:

“Can we talk?”

Instead of saying:

“Calm down!”

Try saying:

“It’s going to 
be okay.”

Engaging with members of 
the transgender community 

Following a similar theme, the 
AOPC recently held a “Transgender 
Awareness” webinar that emphasized 
the importance of conveying respect 
and openness to everyone – being 
especially mindful of a person’s gender 
identity and expression.

It was organized by Judicial Programs 
Administrator Rick Pierce and was the 
largest AOPC webinar yet with over 
300 court staff participating statewide. 

The speakers and content for the 
presentation were provided by the 

Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia, a 
group that focuses on meeting the 
health and wellness needs of LGBTQ 
communities.  

The webinar focused on training court 
staff how to better understand and 
respectfully engage with members of 
the transgender community. 

The program presenters explained 
that when a person identifies with 
a different gender than their one 
assigned at birth, it causes an 
internal struggle; and to resolve this, 

it is important for them to be able to 
express the gender with which they 
identify.

However, this can only be 
accomplished when others understand 
and respect them – which is the 
ultimate goal behind these types of 
trainings. 

Some of the advice that the webinar 
gave court staff included:

•  Honor a person’s request to be 
called by a different name, even 
if it doesn’t match their legal 
documents; and 

• 

If you see a person being mocked 
or disrespected, make a correction 
or report it to someone who can.

6

12345Highlighting 
Black History 
Month in the 
courts
In honor of Black History 
Month, the AOPC interviewed 
several Pennsylvania judges 
to talk about what Black 
History Month means to 
each of them and how they 
approach diversity in the 
courtroom.

Saluting an 
impressive 
track record of 
court service

Major Tom Hargis is living proof that 
age is just a number. At 96 years old, 
Hargis works at the Dauphin County 
courthouse as a court clerk to Judge 
Jeannine Turgeon, Court of Common 
Pleas.

Born in a small town in Maryland, 
Hargis grew up during the Great 
Depression where his family got by 
through farming and share-cropping.

“After graduating from the Salisbury 
Colored High School, unemployment 
was extremely high and the only 
work available for the most part 
was farming work, which lead to my 
decision to volunteer for the U.S. 
Army on Feb. 12, 1941,” said Hargis. 

After Pearl Harbor, Hargis was 
deployed for special training in land 
and water amphibious vehicles in 
preparation for shipment into the 
Theater of Operations in the South 
Pacific. 

In 1944, Hargis participated in the 
landing of U.S. Forces as part of the 
Philippines Liberation invasion under 
the command of General MacArthur.

He served in the Army Reserve for 
many years until 1975 when he was 
honorably discharged with the rank 
of Major. 

more 

INFORMATION

Watch the three-minute video at 
http://www.pacourts.us/news-and-
statistics/media-resources.

Major Tom Hargis and Judge Jeannine Turgeon

In 1988, Hargis started with Dauphin 
County in the Prothonotary’s office 
before moving to the Clerk of Court’s 
office, working in various judges’ 
courtrooms before being assigned to 
Judge Turgeon’s courtroom in 1992 – 
when he was pushing 70 years old. 

“He helped me learn my way,” said 
Judge Turgeon. “He drives to work 
every day – rain or shine, and has 
worked alongside me some nights 
until 8 or 9 p.m. With only a 15-minute 
break for lunch on crammed days, he 
has never once complained.”

“He is wise. He is kind. He is a team 
player,” added Judge Turgeon. “I 
admire him immensely and will 
be forever grateful to whomever 
assigned him to take care of me and 
my courtroom 27 years ago.”

Hargis has five children, and says that 
outside of work, he enjoys spending 
time with his family and gardening. 

This past November, Governor Tom 
Wolf sent Hargis a proclamation for 
his 96th birthday, thanking him for his 
dedicated service to both the country 
and the commonwealth.

Editors
Stacey Witalec
Kim Bathgate

Writer
Casey Scheffler

Contributors
Patti Campbell
Rhonda Hocker
Stephen Baldwin

Graphic Design
Gretchen Smith

Photography
Justin Scott

Court Administrator of PA
Tom Darr

Assistant Court Administrator of PA
Andrea B. Tuominen, Esq.

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 the UJS 
website at: www.pacourts.us
Twitter @PACourts
Facebook @pennsylvaniacourts
Instagram @pennsylvaniacourts

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Thomas G. Saylor
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania

Max Baer
Justice

Debra Todd
Justice

Christine Donohue
Justice

Kevin M. Dougherty
Justice

David N. Wecht
Justice

Sallie Updyke Mundy
Justice

7

Judge John Driscoll with newly adoptive family. Shirts read: Families don’t have to match when their hearts do.

Celebrating Adoption Day 
in Westmoreland County 

Westmoreland County courthouse was 
filled with lots of smiles and hugs as 
court staff celebrated Adoption Day in 
November the best way imaginable. 

After having been placed in the system 
when he was three years old, Ryan had 
been bounced around homes nearly 
22 times. 

Westmoreland County Common Pleas 
Judges John Driscoll and Jim Silvis 
oversaw the adoptions of eight happy 
children who found their permanent 
homes and forever families that day. 

“Child protection has such an 
enormous workload and occasionally, 
termination of parental rights must 
occur,” said Judge Driscoll. “It is sad 
and difficult when this happens, but 
National Adoption Day is a day filled 
with joy.” 

Among the many smiling faces in the 
courtroom was little Kareem, whose 
smile didn’t leave his face the whole 
hearing, while repeatedly asking, “Am I 
adopted yet?” 

Kareem was adopted by Jennifer and 
Dale Shawley, who had previously 
adopted his half-brother.

Another particularly moving story was 
that of a 17-year-old boy, Ryan Stokes. 

8

“People don’t understand how hard it 
is to go through what we have,” Ryan 
said. “You just have to keep trying until 
you break through and get to know us. 
Once you get to know us, you’ll like 
us.”

Ryan’s adoptive mother, Barb Stokes, 
was the secretary at Ryan’s high school 
when she learned that he was going to 
be moved to yet another home. 

“I’ve had a good life, and it broke my 
heart to know he had gone through so 
much in life,” Barb said. “He deserved 
to have the same things in life that I’ve 
had.” 

Barb and her husband, Rob asked 
Ryan if he wanted to come live with 
them, and on Nov. 29, they officially 
welcomed him into their family.  

“Nearly half of the children in the 
Pennsylvania foster care system are 
teenagers,” said Director of the Office 

Rob, Ryan and Barb Stokes

of Children and Families in the Courts, 
Sandy Moore. 

While the goal initially is almost always 
to safely reunite a child with their bio-
logical family, when this is not possible, 
Pennsylvania law encourages anyone 
who knows and cares for a child to 
step forward and become that forever 
family.”

When asked how he was going to 
celebrate with his new family, Ryan 
said he was excited to take a trip to the 
beach this summer – something he’s 
never done. 

Having already been accepted to 
three colleges, Ryan has a bright 
future ahead of him, with plans to go to 
college for nursing.

Women in the
Pennsylvania Judiciary

info

P A C O U R T S

As of February 2019 . . .

30%

of Pennsylvania’s
active judges
are women

Women on the bench in other PA courts:

32%

Common Pleas Judges
134 women / 284 men / 40 vacancies

There are three women serving on the 
seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court:

Justice
Debra Todd

Justice
Christine Donohue

Justice
Sallie Updyke Mundy

26%

Magisterial District Judges
128 women / 371 men / 
13 vacancies

Superior
Court

11 women

Commonwealth
Court

6 women

The majority of Superior and 
Commonwealth Courts are women:

33%

Philadelphia Municipal Court
8 women / 16 men / 1 vacancy

Irene Bizzoso, Esq., Prothonotary,
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Gicine Brignola, Esq., Executive Director, 
Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners

Kristen W. Brown, Esq., Prothonotary
Commonwealth Court

Cathy Kane, Court Administrator, 
Court of Judicial Discipline

Stephanie Libhart, Executive Director, 
Interest on Lawyers Trust Account Board (IOLTA)

Kathryn Peifer Morgan, Esq., Executive Director, 
Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client Security

Andrea Tuominen, Esq., 
Assistant Court Administrator of Pennsylvania

The president judge of Commonwealth Court 
is a woman:

Hon. Mary Hannah Leavitt

14 women serve as president judges 
in Courts of Common Pleas.

Hon. Sara M. Soffel 
was the first woman 
appointed as a judge
in Pennsylvania
(Allegheny County).

Hon. Juanita Kidd Stout 
was the first elected African 
American female judge in the 
nation – and the first African 
American woman to serve on 
any state Supreme Court.
(Philadelphia County).

9
**Data compiled February 2019.

9

3 men1 vacancy3 menCLE credits for 
pro bono work 

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court 
recently approved a three-year 
pilot program that began on Jan. 1, 
2019, allowing attorneys to receive 
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) 
credits in exchange for offering their 
legal services pro bono.

Registered, active Pennsylvania 
attorneys can receive one CLE credit 
for every five hours of pro bono 
work they complete with a legal aid 
organization that has been approved 
by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal 
Education Board. 

The pilot program allows attorneys 
to receive a maximum of three CLE 
credits annually.

Additionally, the Supreme Court 
adopted a new rule last May that 
allows retired attorneys to volunteer 
their services pro bono under a new 
“emeritus” status. 

“It used to be that you couldn’t practice 
once you’re retired, but this new 
emeritus status allows retired attorneys 
the ability to continue practicing, while 
performing a much-needed service to 

Dan Levering and Katey Buggy

low-income Pennsylvanians,” said Dan 
Levering, CLE Board administrator. 

Attorneys under this status will only 
have to complete eight annual CLE 
credits instead of the standard 12 
credits that are required for active 
attorneys. 

Prior to applying for emeritus status, 
retired attorneys must complete six 
hours of continuing legal education 
within a year of submitting their 
application to the Office of Attorney 
Registration. 

“Emeritus status and the CLE for pro 
bono pilot project are important Court 
initiatives we have been happy to be 
involved with,” added Katey Buggy, 
CLE Board associate administrator.  

They are an example of using goals of 
the CLE Board to connect lawyers with 
legal service providers and hopefully 
boost pro bono participation.” 

more INFORMATION

Learn more at www.pacle.org. 

New rule provides direction to attorneys  
with unclaimed funds in their IOLTA account 

For several years, the IOLTA Board has received calls from 
attorneys seeking guidance on the ethical distribution of 
unclaimed and unidentifiable funds in their IOLTA trust 
account. 

This is an especially common question when an attorney is 
winding down a law practice in preparation for retirement 
or when his or her attempts to contact a former client are 
unsuccessful. 

Fortunately, Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 
1.15(v) was recently adopted and will be able to provide this 
necessary guidance. 

The new rule provides that after reasonable efforts have 
been undertaken to reunite funds in an IOLTA account with 

their rightful owner for at least two years, any unidentifiable 
or unclaimed funds may be transferred to the IOLTA Board 
for safekeeping. 

The funds may be reclaimed if the rightful owner is identified 
or located at a later time.

Directing unclaimed and unidentifiable funds to the IOLTA 
Board advances the mission of funding civil legal assistance 
for low-income and disadvantaged Pennsylvanians since the 
beneficial interest from the funds remains a source of legal 
aid funding.

more INFORMATION

For additional information and to access the related forms, 
please visit https://www.paiolta.org/unclaimed-funds/.

10

l to r: Conference attendees at Crowne Plaza in Harrisburg, Drug Court Commissioner Judge Peggy Davis from Greene County, Missouri

Mental health courts:
Changing the face of criminal  
justice and changing lives 

Pennsylvania’s problem-solving courts 
held their first statewide mental health 
courts training this past December 
during a two-day conference at the 
Crowne Plaza in Harrisburg.

Over 125 people attended the 
conference sponsored by AOPC with 
almost every mental health court in the 
state represented. 

The conference agenda included 
a wide range of keynote speakers 
including mental health researchers 
and advocates, as well as experienced 
problem-solving court judges and 
program administrators from across the 
country. 

“The purpose of this training was for 
our teams to gain the valuable insight 
and advice that these speakers had to 
offer, and to take that back and apply 
it in their own courts,” said Angela 
Sobol Lowry, problem-solving courts 
administrator.

Among the many training topics 
covered at the conference was 
Motivational Interviewing, led by Drug 

Court Commissioner, Judge Peggy 
Davis from Greene County, Missouri.

“In order to get a 

defendant to change 

their behavior, you 

have to understand 

and explore their own 

personal motivations,”  

said Judge Davis.

“Rehabilitation is the paramount 
purpose of sentencing for most people, 
and judges can begin and support 
this process by adopting Motivational 
Interviewing methods,” said Judge 
Davis. 

Judge Davis explained that the overall 
goal of all problem-solving courts is 
to get the defendant to change their 
behavior, and defendants are far 
more likely to change when they are 
motivated to do so. 

She shared some of her own 
experiences using Motivational 
Interviewing methods, and 
demonstrated effective rebuttal 
statements for court staff to use when 
talking to defendants who are resistant 
to changing their behavior. 

Some of these methods include:

•  Asking a person’s permission to give 

feedback before responding

•  Acknowledging what a person has 

said while pointing out contradictory 
statements 

•  Helping relate a person’s past 

success/challenges to their present 
efforts to change.

Judge Davis concluded the 
presentation by commending court 
staff for the important work they do.

“Drug addiction, mental health issues— 
these are battles; and you all should be 
proud to help fight this battle.”

11

Legislative roundup by Damian J. Wachter, Esq.

A new session of the General Assembly commenced with swearing-in 
ceremonies in both chambers and a joint session on January 1.

Make up of the House:
110 Republicans, 91 Democrats and two vacancies  
(filled by special election on March 12).  

Make up of the Senate:
28 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one vacancy  
(filled by special election on April 2).

Judiciary Committee - New chairs were appointed in 
three of the four Judiciary Committee seats. In the House, 
Representative Rob Kauffman from Franklin County will 
serve as the majority chair and Representative Tim Briggs 
from Montgomery County was appointed the Democratic 
chair. 

In the Senate, Senator Lisa Baker from Luzerne, Pike, 
Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties was 
appointed as the majority chair. Senator Daylin Leach from 
Montgomery County was reappointed as Democratic chair, 
but he has temporality stepped aside from his chairmanship 
role. An acting Democratic chair has not yet been named. 

12

Legislative Action - With only a few session days completed 
thus far, the legislative calendar has been light. The most 
prominent action was the passage of Senate Resolution 
20 by a vote of 31-18. The resolution directs the Legislative 
Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study of the 
impact of venue in medical professional liability cases on 
medical care access and system maintenance. The study 
must be completed by Jan. 1, 2020. 

The resolution requests that the Pennsylvania Supreme 
Court delay action on proposed amendments to the 
Rules of Civil Procedure Rule governing venue in 
medical liability cases until completion of the study. 

Coming Up - It is expected over the next few months the 
legislature will vote to:

1.  Establish a victims rights amendment to the 

constitution

Initiative; and 

2.   Explore advancing a second Justice Reinvestment 

3.  Debate reforms to statutory probation provisions.   

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

Around the Judiciary

extraordinary leadership and support 
of those in the problem-solving court 
field in Pennsylvania. 
(l to r): President Judge Russell B. Shurtleff, 
Court of Common Pleas, Wyoming-Sullivan 
County; Senior Judge John Leete, Court 
of Common Pleas, Potter County; and 
President Judge Stephen P. B. Minor, Court 
of Common Pleas, Potter County. 

Judge Kim Berkeley Clark during 
swearing in ceremony as President 
Judge for Court of Common Pleas, 
Allegheny County. 
 

Philadelphia’s Veterans Court received 
the Henry Czajkowski Award from 
the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 
December. 
(l to r): James Funt, Esq. founding partner 
at Greenblatt, Pierce, Funt and Flores, 
LLC; President Judge Patrick Dugan, 
Philadelphia Municipal Court; Lesha 
Sanders, Veterans court coordinator; 
Timothy Wynn, Veterans Court mentor 
coordinator; Susan Lin, Esq. attorney with 
Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing & Feinberg, LLP.

Superior Court Judge Carolyn 
Nichols joined Pennsylvania 
Representative Margo Davidson 
for the fourth annual Public Safety 
Forum in Upper Darby. 

The AOPC’s Judicial District 
Operations department conducted 
workshops on “Preventing and 
Responding to Domestic and 
Sexual Violence in Courthouse 
Workplaces” across the state. This 
free one-day training was delivered 
by Futures Without Violence, a 
national resource center focused on 
ending gender based violence and 
child abuse by raising awareness 
through education and support. 
District court administration staff, 
judges, supervisors and managers 
working in the courthouse, domestic 
relations, probation and MDJ staff 
attended the training.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice 
Kevin Dougherty participated in the Al 
Dia Lawyers Forum.

Tom Darr, court administrator 
of Pennsylvania, pictured with 
Senator Stewart Greenleaf during 
Greenleaf’s retirement reception in 
the Pennsylvania Capitol. Greenleaf 
retired after serving as Senate 
Judiciary chair for 30 years. 

13

Joint announcement by Board 
of Commissioner's Chair Dr. 
Valerie Arkoosh and President 
Judge Thomas DelRicci on the 
establishment of the Montgomery 
County Family Justice Advisory 
Board (FJAB). The mission of FJAB 
is to examine and address Family 
Court issues from a systemic and 
policy perspective, and recommend 
ways in which the Court, public 
agencies and private organizations 
can efficiently, effectively and 
collaboratively improve the process, 
programs and institutions.
(l to r) Kenneth Lawrence, county 
commissioner, Family Court Judge Dan 
Clifford, Family Court Administrative 
Judge Carolyn Carluccio, Board of 
Commissioner's Chair, Dr. Valerie 
Arkoosh, President Judge Thomas 
DelRicci, Joseph Gale, county 
commissioner, Michael Kehs, court 
administrator and Gary Kline, director of 
domestic relations and Chair of FJAB.

Senior Judge John Leete was the 
recipient of the Louis J. Presenza 
Distinguished Service Award at 
the Pennsylvania Association of 
Drug Court Professionals (PADCP) 
Conference. The Louis J. Presenza 
Distinguished Service Award is 
recognition by one’s peers for 
dedication and commitment to the 
field of problem-solving courts. 
This unique award recognizes 
an individual who has shown 

Superior Court Judge Correale 
Stevens visited Sarah Grega’s class 
for reading day at Wyoming Valley 
Children Association, Forty Fort. 
Readings included Spiderman and  
The Cow in the Silo. Pictured with 
Judge Stevens is his grandson,  
Maxton Mercadante (immediate left).

Carbon County held its first Veterans 
Court graduation ceremony on Dec. 
12. Judge Joseph Matika, Court 
of Common Pleas, oversaw the 
graduation ceremony of the first three 
participants to successfully complete 
Carbon County’s Veterans Treatment 
Court program. 
(l to r): Edward Dubosky, Corey Perich and 
Jay Dalrymple

Justice Debra Todd swearing in 
Judge Jim Eisenhower to the Court of 
Judicial Discipline.

Judge Panella elected president judge of Superior Court

“I am grateful to have the 
confidence of my court, 
and am truly honored and 
excited to lead such an 
exceptional group,” said 
President Judge Panella. 

President Judge Panella 
was first appointed as 
a Northampton County 
Common Pleas judge in 
1991, and was elected to the 
Superior Court in 2003. 

Over the course of his many 
years on the bench, Judge 

Panella worked hard to help 
other judges navigate the 
complex issues involved 
in sexual violence cases. 
He has authored three 
benchbooks on the subject, 
and recently received 
national recognition from the 
National Sexual Violence 
Resource Center.

Some of his other notable 
work includes leading 
the Public Education and 
Community Outreach 
Committee under 

the Supreme Court’s 
Commission for Justice 
Initiative, and chairing the 
Commonwealth Partners 
Program – for which he 
received the President’s 
Award from the PA 
Conference of Trial Judges 
in 2002. 

Judge Panella succeeds 
Judge Susan Gantman 
as President Judge of the 
Pennsylvania Superior 
Court, whose five-year term 
ended Jan. 6, 2019.

This past December, Judge 
Jack Panella was elected 
President Judge of the 
Pennsylvania Superior Court 
effective Jan. 7, 2019. 

Retired Chief Justice Flaherty dies at 87

Chief Justice Emeritus John P. Flaherty 
passed away on Feb. 20, 2019, after a 
five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 
He died at age 87 in his home in Indiana 
Township. 

Justice Flaherty received his bachelor’s 
degree from Duquesne University and his 
law degree from the University of Pittsburgh 
School of Law. In 1953, he enlisted in the Army 
and served for two years. He then opened a 
private practice in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania 
prior to being elected to Allegheny County 
Common Pleas Court in 1973.

14

In 1979, Flaherty was appointed to fill 
an interim six-month term on the state 
Supreme Court before winning a full 10-year 
term and retention twice. He became Chief 
Justice in 1996 and served in that role until 
his retirement in 2001.

“Justice Flaherty’s tenure marked a time 
of healing for the court as he stepped into 
the role of mediator and encouraged his 
colleagues to speak with one voice,” said 
Court Administrator of Pennsylvania  
Thomas B. Darr.

New Judicial Conduct Board chief counsel 

“I am excited and honored 
to join the outstanding 
men and women at the 
Judicial Conduct Board in 
their dedicated efforts to 
further the independence 
and integrity of the 
Commonwealth’s judiciary,” 
said Long.   

Prior to his appointment 
as chief counsel at the 
JCB, Long served as the 
executive director of the 
Pennsylvania District 

Attorney’s Association 
(PDAA) for eight years. 

Before that, Long served 
as deputy district attorney 
in Dauphin County for four 
years, and maintained 
a private law practice in 
Harrisburg.

In between his time in 
private practice and at the 
PDAA, Long worked for the 
NFL’s Cleveland Browns for 
eight years. 

Since 1989, Long has 
continued to notably serve 
in the U.S. Army Reserve, 
most recently as Colonel 
in the Judge Advocate 
General’s Corps. 

Long lives in Mechanicsburg, 
Pennsylvania and is married 
with two children.

He succeeds the Honorable 
Bob Graci who announced 
his retirement in August 
after serving six years as 
chief counsel to the JCB.

The Judicial Conduct 
Board (JCB) welcomed 
their new Chief Counsel, 
Richard Long, Esq. this past 
December. 

Transitions

New to the Judicial Branch

Ryan M. Bonafair - Purchasing 
Specialist - Finance
Megan L. Davis - Counsel - Legal
Matthew S. Gray - HR Analyst - Human 
Resources
Lorie L. Lambie - Deputy Court 
Administrator - Fayette
Mario T. Lanza - Web Developer - IT
Terilyn  L. Wickizer - Deputy Court 
Administrator - Sullivan/Wyoming

 

Committees, boards and Advisory 
Groups 
 
Brian D. Catanzarite, Esq. - Appointed - 
Criminal Procedural Rules Committee
Hon. Kim Berkeley Clark - Reappointed 
- Interbranch Commision for Gender, 
Racial and Ethnic Fairness
Stewart L. Cohen, Esq. - Reappointed - 
Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners 
Leslie A. Collins, Esq. - Appointed - 
Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners
Hon. Deborah E. Curcillo - Reappointed 
- Interbranch Commision for Gender, 
Racial and Ethnic Fairness
Katherine J. Gomez, Esq. - Reappointed 
- Interbranch Commision for Gender, 
Racial and Ethnic Fairness
John P. Goodrich, Esq. - Reappointed - 
Disciplinary Board of Pennsylvania
James C. Haggerty, Esq. - Vice-Chair - 
Disciplinary Board of Pennsylvania
MDJ Sue E. Haggerty - Appointed - 
Minor Court Rules Committee
Hon. Renée Cohn Jubelirer - 
Reappointed - Continuing Judicial 
Education Board of Judges 
Candice L. Komar, Esq. - Appointed - 
Continuing Legal Education Board
Hon. Beth A. Lazzara - Reappointed - 
Criminal Procedural Rules Committee

 

Hon. Richard A. Lewis - Reappointed - 
Continuing Judicial Education Board 
of Judges
Hon. Timothy K. Lewis (Ret.) - 
Reappointed - Interbranch Commision 
for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness 
Marisa K. McClellan, Esq. - Appointed 
- Juvenile Court Procedural Rules 
Committee
Hon. Stephen P.B. Minor - Reappointed 
- Continuing Judicial Education Board 
of Judges 
Gretchen A. Mundorff, Esq. - Appointed 
- Disciplinary Board of Pennsylvania
Hon. John C. Rafferty, Jr., Esq. - 
Appointed - Disciplinary Board of 
Pennsylvania 
Hon. David A. Regoli - Appointed - 
Pennsylvania Lawyers Fund for Client 
Security Board
Peter Rosalsky, Esq. - Reappointed - 
Criminal Procedural Rules Committee
MDJ Beth Scagline-Mills - Appointed - 
Minor Court Rules Committee
Jessie L. Smith, Esq. - Appointed - 
Interbranch Commision for Gender, 
Racial and Ethnic Fairness
Hon. Victor P. Stabile - Reappointed - 
Continuing Judicial Education Board 
of Judges 
 
Andrew J. Trevelise, Esq. - Chair - 
Disciplinary Board of Pennsylvania
Daniel G. Vitek, Esq. - Reappointed - 
Minor Court Rules Committee
Catherine L. Volponi, Esq. - Appointed 
- Interbranch Commision for Gender, 
Racial and Ethnic Fairness

 

Retirements/Resignations

Leo S. Armbruster - MDJ - Snyder/Union
Bradley J Cober - Court Administrator 
- Somerset
Hon. William R. Cunningham - CP judge 
- Erie

Hon. Rhonda Lee Daniele - CP judge - 
Montgomery
Hon. John P. Garhart - CP judge - Erie
Tari L. Hoke - Payroll Specialist - 
Finance
Janice Jimenez - MDJ - Lancaster
Karen L Johnson - Assistant to the 
Court Administrator - McKean
Hon. Anthony G. Marsili - CP judge - 
Westmoreland
Hon. Richard A. Masson - CP judge - 
Cameron/Elk
Hon. Donna J. McDaniel - CP judge - 
Allegheny
Gerald J. Miller - Network Specialist - IT
Veronica P. Miller, Esq. - Counsel - 
Legal
Hon. Nathaniel C. Nichols - CP judge - 
Delaware
Allen P. Page III - MDJ - Lycoming
Robert Craig Rapp - End User Hardware 
and Software Technician - IT
Hon. Anthony A. Sarcione - CP judge - 
Chester
Jay H. Weller - MDJ - Washington

Other Changes

Hon. Wallace H. Bateman Jr. - Bucks - 
Commence PJ Status
J. Matthew Chiara - IT Development 
Manager - moved to PABLE 
Hon. Kim Berkeley Clark - Allegheny - 
Commence PJ Status
Hon. Patrick F. Dugan - Philadelphia - 
Commence Municipal Court PJ Status
Hon. Idee C. Fox - Philadelphia - 
Commence PJ Status
Tammy J. Lambie - Transfer from Fayette 
County as Deputy Court Administrator 
to Somerset County as District Court 
Administrator
Hon. Jack A. Panella - Superior Court - 
Commence PJ Status

15

601 Commonwealth Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17120

In memory of Chief Justice Emeritus

John P. Flaherty, Jr.

Nov. 19, 1931 - Feb. 20, 2019

See page 14