OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION 
43RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT 
MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE 
610 MONROE STREET, SUITE 221 
STROUDSBURG, PA 18360 
(570) 517-3009 
FAX (570) 517-3866 
 

Deborah Rivera 
Deputy Court Administrator 

athy A. Sauter 

  K

Deputy Court Administrator - 
Special Courts 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

    John J. Goldner 
 
    District Court Administrator  
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

or Immediate Release 

March 18, 2020 

 

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n Monday 3/16/2020, President Judge Margherita Patti-Worthington issued a Declaration of 
Judicial Emergency for the 43rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania for the period of March 16, 2020 
to April 14, 2020.  The Declaration of Judicial Emergency was accompanied by Emergency 
Administrative Orders which were geared toward mitigating the number of individuals that would 
enter the Courthouse and Magisterial District Courts at any particular time by staggering start times 
of proceedings, increasing the use of advanced communication technology where possible and 
reducing heavily populated events at the Courthouse, such as jury selection days. 

Based on the fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic, revised CDC recommendations and in an 
abundance of concern for Court users and Court and County employees, President Judge 
Worthington issued Emergency Administrative Order (65 AD 2020) in the early evening of March 
17, 2020.  This order CONTINUED all scheduled proceedings, programs, conferences, hearings and 
trials in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, 43rd Judicial District, and the Monroe County 
Magisterial District Courts commencing Wednesday March 18, 2020 through and including 
Tuesday April 14, 2020.  Included within the order are guidelines for filings on Emergency Matters 
as well as non-emergent matters. 

The County Courthouse remains open Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM but access is limited.  
Public Access to Judicial facilities from the close of business Wednesday March 18, 2020 through 
the close of business Wednesday April 1, 2020 is limited to Court and County officials and 
employees, attorneys with business in the judicial facility in emergency or time sensitive matters, 
litigants for the purpose of filing emergency petitions, parties to a scheduled case, credentialed 
members of the Media and others as designated by the President Judge or her designee.   

Magisterial District Courts in Monroe County will be closed from the close of business Wednesday 
March 18, 2020 until the close of business Wednesday April 1, 2020 except for Criminal Cases 
involving incarcerated Defendants (as delineated in the most recent order). All hearings will be 

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conducted by the on-call MDJ on a rotating weekly basis using ACT (advanced communications 
technology). 

All Court users are encouraged to read the full content of the most recent order.  PDF versions of 
the Declaration of Judicial Emergency and all of the aforementioned Emergency Administrative 
Orders are available at the Court’s website (http://www.monroepacourts.us/).   

Updated information, including helpful questions and answers (FAQs) regarding topics such as 
payments and filing information is also available through the Court’s website 
(http://www.monroepacourts.us/).   

 

For further information contact: 

John J. Goldner 
District Court Administrator 
(570) 517-3009 
jgoldner@monroepacourts.us  

 
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