Official newsletter of the
Pennsylvania Judicial System

Issue 2, 2021

In this issue

Read about the neuroscience of judicial decision-making, 
the FY 2021-2022 Judicial Budget Request, a department 
spotlight on AOPC/IT and more.

1

(l) Justice Thomas G. Saylor (r) Chief Justice Max Baer 

Pa. Chief Justice 
Transition

After more than two decades on the Pennsylvania 
Supreme Court, Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor
transitioned from the role of chief justice, in anticipation of 
his upcoming retirement in Dec. 2021. 

Thomas G. Saylor has 

Under the state Constitution, a Justice of the Supreme 
Court must retire at the end of the calendar year in which 
they reach the age of seventy-five. To ensure an orderly 
transition, Chief Justice Saylor announced he would 
transfer the role of chief justice to Justice Max Baer 
the end of his tenure, while remaining a Justice for the 
balance of his term on the Court.

Max Baer before 

“I am grateful to have led a productive Court, composed 
of collegial and dedicated jurists, and I appreciate the 
support I have received from the other justices and court 
system personnel throughout my tenure,” Saylor said.  

Saylor was installed as Chief Jan. 2015. He came to the 
Supreme Court in 1998 with a strong focus on producing 
high-quality judicial opinions.  In his twenty-three years of 
service with the Court, Chief Justice Saylor has authored 
approximately 400 main opinions.  Collectively, with his 
responsive opinions, he has penned more than 1,000, 
covering the gamut of Pennsylvania law, throughout the 
civil, criminal and administrative arenas. 

During his time leading the judiciary, Chief Justice Saylor 
also shepherded the transition to mandatory judicial 
education; headed the creation of a grand jury task force; 
and supervised the implementation of a new advisory 

position to the Supreme Court, namely, that of its counsel.  
Most recently, he has guided the court system through the 
unprecedented challenges posed by a public health crisis.

On April 1, Justice Max Baer assumed the role of Chief 
Justice. A distinguished member of the bench for more 
than three decades, Justice Baer served on the Court of 
Common Pleas of Allegheny County from 1990 to 2003, 
with a majority of those years in the Family Division. 
During his time in Family Court, he earned statewide 
and national recognition for implementing far-reaching 
reforms to Juvenile Court as well as Domestic Relations. 
He assumed his role as a member of the Supreme Court in 
2003 and was retained in 2013.

“I have every confidence that Justice 
Baer, who has been my friend and 
colleague for many years, will be an 
able steward of both our Supreme 
Court and the Pennsylvania 
Judiciary,” Saylor said.  

“Chief Justice Saylor has long been lauded for his 
distinguished service and extraordinary leadership of 
an independent judiciary,” Baer said.  “We have been 
discussing this transition for some time, and I particularly 
value the opportunity to have him close at hand as I take 
on the myriad additional responsibilities of Chief Justice.  
I hope to follow his example of strong, collaborative, and 
effective leadership during the remainder of my time on 
the Court.”

more INFORMATION

More information about the Court is available here.

2

The neuroscience  
of decision-making  
in the courts
Defining the challenges and  
implementing concrete solutions 

confidence court staff, counsel, litigants, jurors and the 
public have in the justice system. 

In the course, participants were taught concrete research-
based solutions to these challenges of implicit bias. 
Research in neuroscience and psychology were used 
to show how unconscious processes can actually be 
changed. 

A course offered in December 2020 by the AOPC Judicial 
Education department delved into the neuroscience 
behind judicial decision-making. 

Brain-imaging studies were used to show what may 
motivate, scare and fool people in a courtroom setting 
as participants explore the neuroscience of fairness, 
innovation, accuracy and empathy.

The speaker in this course, Kimberly Papillon, Esq., has 
been teaching at the National Judicial College since 2005 
and is nationally recognized as an expert on the subject of 
decision-making in law, education, business and medicine. 
She uses neurophysiologic studies to explain how judges 
assess credibility, threat, intelligence, competence and 
culpability in a diverse society. 

“In this course, we are always open and ready to admit 
that fatigue, stress, distractions or being under-trained or 
under-informed can all affect how accurate our decisions 
will be,” Professor Papillion said. 

“The goal is to look at and change the brain reactions that 
keep a person from doing what they would have otherwise 
done had those barriers not been there, trusting that their 
value system and intellect are intact.”

While exploring issues of gender, socio-economic status, 
race, religion and ethnicity, the two-phase course 
pinpointed areas where decisions may be affected by 
implicit preferences, unconscious processes and subtleties. 

For example: 

•  We may remember facts differently based on the 

gender or ethnicity of the person who communicated 
the information; 

•  We may use different parts of our brain to make 
judgments about people based on whether they 
share key aspects of our identity such as region of the 
country, religion and political affiliation; 

•  We have different brain reactions when we hear an 
accent that we find pleasant versus unpleasant;

•  We may instantaneously assess people as threatening 
or benign based on facial features (a process that 
occurs in the fear center of the brain). 

FACTS

C U L T U R E

BIAS
ETHNICIT Y
C U LT U R E
A C C E N T

GENDER
ETHICS

The course introduced interactive, individual solutions 
that have been proven to reduce or eliminate implicit bias. 
Some of these approaches include:

• 

Increasing accurate assessments of competence and 
intelligence and reducing the fear, threat anxiety and 
distrust reactions to gender expressions, and specific 
racial or ethnic groups; 

•  Activating the part of the brain that weeds out implicit 

bias (anterior cingulate cortex);

•  Activating the part of the brain that ensures that 
details and surrounding circumstances will be 
considered equally for all individuals. 

The last phase of the training addressed solutions, next 
steps and ways to make accurate and fair decisions even 
when bias is present. 

This particular course was offered as part of a larger, 
ongoing effort addressing implicit bias, diversity and 
inclusion in the courts. 

Throughout the past five years, over 30 judicial education 
courses surrounding these topics have been offered 
through AOPC’s Judicial Education Department and the 
Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges’ Education 
Committee. 

A few of these have included: 

• 

Judicial Wellness and Decision Making (2020)

•  Recent Trends in Judicial Ethics (2020) 

• 

Fairness and Access (2018, 2020) 

•  Angry Judges (2018) 

• 

Legal Ethics, Harassment and Discrimination (2017) 

These neurophysiologic reactions may also affect verbal 
and nonverbal communication styles which impact the 

•  Gender and Racial Bias (2016) 

3

ADA training 
for judicial 
districts 

The AOPC recently launched a project 
to provide additional resources 
to Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA) coordinators for the judicial 
districts, appellate courts, boards and 
committees. 

Court Access Coordinator Mary Vilter
Mary Vilter 
and Court Access Program Analyst 
Chase Emanuel, together with AOPC 
Chase Emanuel
Communications, have created a 
protected-view page accessible 
from the ADA Compliance page on 
pacourts.us. 

The page provides an FAQ document 
on different types of disabilities and 
reasonable accommodations, a list 
of disability resources both nationally 
and throughout the state, as well as a 
comprehensive PowerPoint training on 
the ADA.  

Among other topics, the training 
defines what the ADA says under 
Title II, who must be accommodated 
(litigants, jurors, courtroom spectators, 
witnesses, etc.) and how ADA 
requests are made. 

It also addresses what types of 
accommodations are available in the 
courts along with the processes that 
court staff should follow when asked 
for an accommodation. 

Staff provided this initial training to 
judicial district ADA coordinators 
at a Pennsylvania Association of 
Court Management Lunch ‘n Learn 
session on March 10, where about 90 
ADA coordinators and district court 
administrators attended. They later 
provided a similar training for the 
appellate, board and committee ADA 
coordinators on March 31.

Judge and OCFC director participate in 
Children and Youth Committee meeting 

and its involvement 
with the development 
and revisions of 
the Dependency 
Benchbook.

Judge Peck, who started 
her presentation by 
sharing a picture of a 
family who was in front 
of her in a dependency 
case, described that 
outcome as the reason 
she does what she does 
every day.

In February, Common Pleas Judge 
Christylee Peck 
Christylee Peck (Cumberland County) 
and Office of Children and Families 
in the Courts (OCFC) Director Sandy 
Sandy 
Moore 
Moore participated in a virtual House 
Children and Youth Committee 
informational meeting on child 
welfare issues in Pennsylvania.  

House and Senate committees 
routinely conduct informational 
sessions at the beginning of each 
legislative term to give members 
of the committee a broad look at 
the issues under the committee’s 
purview.

Moore provided committee members 
with a background on the important 
work OCFC does – including its role 
in judicial education, its support of 
the Children’s Roundtable Initiative 

(l) Sandy Moore (r) Judge Christylee Peck

After walking members of 
the committee through the lifecycle 
of a dependency case, the judge 
explained that although many cases 
involve difficult circumstances, the 
ultimate goal is always finding safe 

ways to make families stronger. 

At the end of their presentations, 
both Moore and Judge Peck 
answered questions from committee 
members. 

4

Department Spotlight: 

AOPC IT

One of the most integral parts of our modern state court 
system, and certainly the largest department within the 
AOPC, is the Information Technology (IT) Department. 

Among the department’s primary responsibilities is the 
continual support of the state’s three case management 
systems: Magisterial District Judge System (MDJS), 
Common Pleas Case Management System (CPCMS) and 
Pennsylvania Appellate Court Case Management System 
(PACMS). 

Not only are these systems used by the public, media, 
judges and court staff around the state and country – 
they are equally essential to the work of many other 
state and local agencies who use and rely on them daily. 
This includes law enforcement, as well as several other 
executive and legislative branch agencies. 

Unique from other AOPC departments, AOPC/IT’s funding 
comes from court fees rather than taxpayer dollars, and 
allows the case management systems to be provided at 
no cost to counties. 

As current critical budget issues tied to the operation 
of the Judicial Computer System (JCS) threaten the 
operation of CPCMS, the Pennsyvlania Supreme Court 
has respectfully requested that the governor and 
legislature restore funding in order to avoid the statewide 
fiscal and operational consequences of shuttering 
CPCMS. 

In addition to maintaining these important systems, IT 
staff provide many other court-related applications and 

technology services and support to Pennsylvania’s court 
system and its 60 judicial districts. 

There are seven main functional areas within the IT 
There are seven main functional areas within the IT 
Department:
Department:

1.  Application Development –

Application Development – performs all aspects 
of the software development process. All case 
management systems have been primarily developed, 
deployed and maintained by in-house staff. 

2.  Application Design –

Application Design – participates in the development 
of new applications, system enhancements and 
mandates (legislative and rules changes). 

3.  Network and Security –

Network and Security – provides connectivity and 
cybersecurity monitoring to all levels of courts 
using AOPC-provided case management systems in 
Pennsylvania. 

4.  Operations Teams –

Operations Teams – designs, maintains and supports 
the technical infrastructure used to deliver AOPC/IT 
services and applications to judiciary personnel, court 
related agencies and the public. 

5.  Network Operations Center –

Network Operations Center – provides 24/7 
monitoring, support and notification for over 600 court 
locations, two data centers and all AOPC-provided 
services. 

6.  Case Management System User Support –

Case Management System User Support – comprised 
of help desks, system trainers and documentation 
writers who provide support and training to thousands 
of court users at all levels of courts. 

7.  User Services –

User Services – supports Supreme Court and AOPC 
office applications, messaging and mobile devices 
and other hardware and software used by court 
personnel.

The IT department has won numerous awards and 
received accolades over the past decade and is seen as 
a leader in building technical solutions to automate and 
facilitate efficient court business processes.

IT staff have played a key role throughout this past year 
keeping courts online and fully operational while many 
work from home, always ready to help court staff navigate 
through any technological challenges that telework may 
present. 

Leading the department for the last 20 years has been 
Director of IT Amy Ceraso
Amy Ceraso. It was announced last month 
that after nearly 35 years of dedicated service, Amy will 
retire in June.  

She will be succeeded by Russel Montchal
been with the AOPC for 22 years, the last six as assistant 
director of IT. 

Russel Montchal, who has 

The leadership transition will no doubt be a smooth one 
given the talented and hardworking IT staff, who every 
day provide essential support to Pennsylvania’s judges 
and court personnel.

5

Unified Judicial System: 
Impact of  Diverting Core Funding 
from Judicial Computer Systems

The Judiciary’s Information Technology operations are supported exclusively by fees and increases in court 
collections. Case management systems developed by AOPC/IT for the courts and the data contained 
in them are used daily by the public, media, more than 20 law enforcement partners, prosecutors, 
government agencies, judges and judicial staff throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation.  

Core funding for the Judicial Computer system has been gradually reduced.  

Act 42 of 2018 annually diverts $15 million of the Judicial Computer System (JCS) 

Act 64 revenues for other government purposes. Recently, due to the pandemic, 

the Legislature transferred an additional $30 million from the JCS account to 

cover General Fund shortfalls. Currently, annual revenues are not sufficient to 

support expenses, forcing AOPC/IT to do the unthinkable: 

shuttering the common pleas criminal case 
management system (CPCMS) provided to 
the county courts, and eliminating services 
available on the UJS web portal. 

•  The CPCMS - a case management system for the criminal, dependency  

and juvenile delinquency areas of the courts of common pleas.

•  UJS web portal - services include docket sheets, statewide warrants  

and calendars

Without a statewide case management system (CPCMS), particularly in the area 

of criminal trial courts, 67 separate county systems will need to be put in place, 

creating a huge management, workload and financial burden on the counties,  

as well as impacting the safety of all Pennsylvanians. 

With 67 separate systems running independently, the current ability to share statewide criminal 
information will be lost, jeopardizing the safety of law enforcement and the public.

6

Shuttering CPCMS
What it Means

CPCMS, the statewide criminal, dependency and juvenile delinquency case management system 
will be shuttered, as will some of the services currently available on the UJS web portal, resulting in:

• 

• 

the need for counties to purchase or build 67 new systems, costing them millions of unplanned dollars.

the elimination of a comprehensive statewide warrant database.

•  an inability to provide many datasets requested for legislative queries in policy-making, as well as 

other government and media data requests.

• 

the elimination of many services on the UJS web portal, including docket sheets and warrant information.

•  discontinuing legislative mandates such as Clean Slate, tax refund and lottery winnings intercepts.

•  an inability to transfer case information electronically between levels of court.

•  a loss of data transmission to many state departments and agencies, including those listed below.

Negative Impact on Collections
The CPCMS brings uniformity and effective tools to the collections process. Using AOPC/IT case 
management systems, Pennsylvania courts collect and disburse more than $480 million in fines, fees, 
costs and restitution annually, the majority of which flow back to state and local governments and to 
programs that support crime victims, including restitution payments. This includes a record $145 million 
paid online through PAePay® in 2019, raising the total collected during the last 10 years to over $4.67 
billion.

In 2019 the state received $240.6 million of the total $480.4 million collected by the courts. Counties 
received $156.6 million and municipalities $41.7 million to support local government programs, while 
crime victims received a total of $37.7 million in restitution.

Who it Impacts

Attorney General
No Megan’s Law or  
Walsh Act reporting

Auditor General 
No statewide electronic auditing 
report data from CPCMS

CCAP and PCCD 
No data sharing to support 
dashboards or ancillary systems

Department of Corrections 
No bulk check processing 
or messaging of sentencing 
information

Department of Revenue 
No electronic transfer of master 
account reporting statewide at 
the Common Pleas level

PennDOT 
No electronic transfer of data 
for license suspensions

Pennsylvania State Police 
No electronic disposition reporting; 
no warrant processing interface

JNET
Hundreds of JNET county and 
agency interfaces eliminated

Problem-Solving Courts 
No case or data transfer to 
PAJCIS, the AOPC’s problem 
solving courts application

7

Allegheny 
judge pays 
tribute to 
Steelers 
legend

As part of a series on the history of 
black sports pioneers in western 
Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette recently published an 
illuminating op-ed on the first black 
player in Pittsburgh Steelers history 

– authored by Allegheny County 
John McVay Jr. 
Common Pleas Judge John McVay Jr.

Judge McVay explained to readers 
who Ray Kemp was in vivid historical 
context and why his achievements 
both on and off the field deserve 
acknowledgement as part of the 
community’s celebration of Black 
History Month. 

Below is an excerpt from Judge 
McVay’s article: 

“Ray Kemp laid the foundation 
in the NFL for much of what 
is taken for granted today, as 
did the great Jackie Robinson 
in Major League Baseball and 
Duquesne University’s own Chuck 
Cooper in the National Basketball 
Association. Robinson and 
Cooper’s histories are undoubtedly 

better known than Kemp’s, likely 
due to the obscure nature of the 
NFL in the 1930’s as well as the 
fact there already had been black 
players in the NFL at inception. 
Nonetheless, Kemp has been 
recognized by the Pro Football 
Hall of Fame as one of the black 
pioneers of the game. Kemp is 
also a member of the Duquesne 
University Hall of Fame, the 
Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall 
of Fame, and was honored by the 
NFL as an honorary captain during 
the 75th Anniversary Season of 
the NFL at the Pittsburgh Steelers/
Indianapolis Colts game in 1994.”

Read the full op-ed, Other Voices: 
Recognizing Ray Kemp, first Black 
Steelers player, here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA’S COURTS, VISIT: 

www.pacourts.us

Facebook 
@PACourts

YouTube 
@PACourts

Twitter 
@PACourts

Instagram 
@pennsylvaniacourts

Call for Entries

AOPConnected is always looking for stories. Do you know of  
a court-related community project or award? Contact the  
AOPC Communications Office with the scoop! Email: 
CommunicationsOffice@pacourts.us

Miss an issue?

Check out our newsletter archive online at http://www.pacourts.us/judicial-
administration/office-of-communications-and-intergovernmental-relations

8

2021
-
2022

Judicial
Budget Request

In 2020 Pennsylvania Courts . . .

Spearheaded a virtual listening tour through 
partnership with the Department of Human 
Services and Drexel University focused on 
examining access to justice issues for 
people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder 
(ASD) and educating judges and the public to 
help encourage better understanding of and 
communication with individuals with an ASD.

As of December 2020, there were 

18,585

active guardianship cases with 
assets totaling $1,530,117,466 under 
court supervision in these cases.

Produced first animated videos on filing a 
protection order and launched digital social 
media ad campaign on domestic violence 
funded by the federal STOP grant. 

9

Continued to implement the  
Clean Slate Act through a 
system that automatically 
removed certain criminal 
history record information 
from public view. Over 

36 million 

cases 

have been sealed (June 28, 2019 - 
 December 15, 2020). 

There were

18,242   

family/lay guardians
and

410  

professional 
guardians
serving in the Commonwealth.

Court Technology

Selected as a two-time winner of the 
National Association for Court Management 
(NACM) and Court Information Technology 
Officers Consortium (CITOC) 2020 
Technology Awards in recognition of 
improved communications, operational 
efficiencies and access to justice using 
technology in Court Management: 
Cross Boundary – Clean Slate and Court 
Management: Court Process Innovations – 
Language Access System.

Problem-Solving Courts

666

law enforcement agencies are now 
electronically filing traffic/parking citations 
and criminal complaints –  
31 of which started e-filing in 2020.

A record

$156 

m i l l i o n
in fines, fees and restitution was paid 
online through PAePay – an 8% increase 
in a year with lower overall revenue.

Over 1.9 million cases were 
docketed in 2020.
Over 100 million docket sheets 
were viewed in 2020.

1,604

participants graduated successfully  
from problem-solving court programs.

522

became employed between 
admission and discharge.

of the participants discharged in 2019 
improved their level of education between 
time of admission and discharge.

260

10

Collections

Saving Tax Dollars

Over the past 10 years, 
the judiciary has collected over

$4.6 

b i l l i o n . 

Collecting fines, fees, costs and restitution is a 
priority for the judiciary – with $403.3 million 
collected in 2020 alone. These dollars flow 
back into the state budget and Pennsylvania 
communities, and to victims of crime. 

State  ($188.3 million)

Local governments  ($177.2 million)

Victims of crime  ($34.6 million)

Airports, parking authorities, 
libraries, schools, etc. ($3.2 million)

Funding

Proposed 2021-2022 Funding

Saving tax dollars through various cost 
saving measures remains a priority through 
renegotiating leases and contracts, 
containing benefit costs and the right sizing 
of the judiciary including the realignment of 
Pennsylvanian’s magisterial district courts.

$5.7  
million
realignment 
of MDJ courts

$.74 
million
contract 
savings

$2.7 
million
benefits
savings

Over the past 13 years, the 
judiciary has saved a combined

$103m i l l i o n . 

The judiciary receives about

0.5%of the state budget. 

State tax funds 
$376.1 
million

Total budget 
$490.1
million

Federal 
funds  
$1.9 
million

Act 49 
$58.8  
million

Judicial
Computer
System 
fees  
$45.6 
million

Other fees 
$7.7  
million

11

Fee revenue has been used to fund a 
portion of the judiciary’s annual general 
fund budget, currently about

14%

Breaking New Ground in Judicial Education

Funded through the STOP Grant, judicial 
education programs heavily focused on 
understanding, recognizing and addressing 
human trafficking. Workshops and trainings 
on the topic were offered to magisterial district 
and trial judges, court reporters and court 
interpreters. 

620 Pennsylvania judges attended

10,325 1

2
total hours of continuing education 
in 2020.

Some topics of judicial 
education:

•  Building Resiliency in a Time of Change
•  Economics for Judges 
•  Justice Reinvestment Initiative Part 2
•  Medically Assisted Treatments for Opioid  
  Use Disorders
•  Mental Health in the Courts: Autism is  
  not a Label
•  Mindfulness, Personal Wellbeing and Judicial 
  Decision Making
•  The Neuroscience of Judicial Decision-Making: 
  Accuracy, Excellence and Equity
•  Recent Trends in Judicial Ethics
•  Third Party Litigation Funding
•  SCOTUS Update with Professor Karlan
•  Understanding the Lexicon of Text Emoji’s.

Philadelphia Bar 
Association sections 
honor 2020 award 
winners

Every year, the Philadelphia Bar Association takes the 
opportunity to recognize outstanding members and 
community leaders for their contributions to the legal 
profession and the administration of justice. 

Director of Criminal Administration for Philadelphia 
Municipal Court Roseanne Unger
Czajkowski Award in the Criminal Justice Section. 
This award recognizes a non-lawyer who has made 
outstanding contributions to the administration of justice. 

Roseanne Unger received the Henry 

Throughout the month of December, a few exceptional 
Philadelphia jurists and court officials were among those 
honored with Sections Honor 2020 Awards. 

Kenneth J. Powell, Jr. and Philadelphia Municipal 

In the Public Interest Section, Philadelphia Common Pleas 
Judge Kenneth J. Powell, Jr.
Court Judge Karen Y. Simmons
Louis H. Pollak Award, given annually to a judge(s) who 
embodies Judge Pollak’s commitment to public service. 

Karen Y. Simmons were honored with the Hon. 

Lastly, in the State Civil Litigation Section, Philadelphia 
Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor
Arnold New was presented 
Court of Common Pleas Judge Arnold New
Justice Max Baer
with the Hon. Alex Bonavitacola Award in recognition of an 
Justice Debra Todd
individual for lasting contributions and dedication to the 
Justice Christine Donohue
Philadelphia court system. 
Justice Kevin M. Dougherty
Justice David N. Wecht
Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy

The AOPC congratulates the award recipients on these 
much-deserved recognitions of dedicated public service. 

12

Protecting yourself
from tax scams 

Security tips from the AOPC IT Security Department 

The IRS is warning consumers about the latest solicitation scam that stems from the congressional economic stimulus 
package. Beware of this type of rebate scam – along with other ones that try to convince recipients that they are entitled 
to a rebate or reimbursement from the government, a bank, or another trusted organization. Everyone should use great 
caution if they receive phone calls or e-mails that claim to be related to government-issued tax rebates. 

Guidelines to follow to protect yourself from identity fraud during tax season: 
Guidelines to follow to protect yourself from identity fraud during tax season: 

• 

The IRS does not send unsolicited tax-related 
e-mails to taxpayers and will never ask for personal 
information (such as Social Security, bank account 
or PIN numbers) via e-mail. Anyone who receives 
an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS or Department 
of Revenue that asks for personal or tax-related 
information should be highly skeptical. 

• 

The only IRS website is www.irs.gov, and all genuine 
IRS Web pages begin with https://www.irs.gov/. If you 
want to access the IRS online, you should type this 
address into your browser. Do not follow any links 
provided in an e-mail. 

•  Be careful with all documents that contain personal 

financial or tax-related information.

Other ways to protect yourself from tax fraud:
Other ways to protect yourself from tax fraud:

• 

File your taxes as soon as you can. 

•  Always be wary of calls, texts, emails and websites asking for personal or tax data, or payment. If contacted, 

end the call and call the organization through their publicly-posted customer service line. 

•  Don’t click on unknown links or links from unsolicited messages. Type the verified, real website address into 

•  Don’t open attachments from unsolicited messages, as they may contain malware. 

•  Only conduct financial business over trusted sites and networks. Don’t use public, guest, free or insecure  

your web browser. 

Wi-Fi networks.  

• 

Shred all unneeded or old documents containing confidential and financial information.

•  Check your financial account statements and your credit report regularly for unauthorized activity. Consider 

putting a security freeze on your credit file with the major credit bureaus. This will prevent identity thieves from 
applying for credit or creating an IRS account in your name. 

REMINDER:
REMINDER:  If you believe you’ve received a tax-related phishing or suspicious email at 
work, please forward the original suspicious email as an attachment itsecurity@pacourts.us. 
More information about tax scams is available on the IRS website. 

Excerpts were compiled from the February and March AOPC/IT Security Newsletters. 

13

Distracted Driving Citations
in Pennsylvania
(Data pulled from PA Courts case management
systems and Philadelphia Municipal Court
traffic division eTIMS system)

info

P A C O U R T S

In Pennsylvania, distracted driving means:

• wearing or using 
   headphones while driving

• texting while driving 
    which includes sending, reading 
    or writing a text-based message.

• using a handheld device while
   driving (commercial vehicle)

TEXTING WHILE
DRIVING =

$50FINE*

plus court costs 
and fees

*Title 75, Section 3316 

12

1

11

10

9

8

2

4

3

7

5

6

The greatest number of 
citations are given between
10 a.m. and noon

34% of people cited

were in their 20s

71%of people cited

were male

56%

of citations
were issued by 
Pennsylvania 
State Police

Female - 28%

Unspecified - 1%

Local police 
issued - 44%

Most citations were given during May.

MAY 11%

12

10

02468

percent of citations in 2020

Specifically, 
distracted 
driving 
citations 
decreased 
by 47% 
from 2019 
to 2020.

2,293

30s - 28%

40s - 16%

50s - 11%
60s - 4%

Unspecified - <1%
Teens - 6%

4,292

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0

Statewide 
traffic 
citations 
of all kinds 
decreased 
by 33%* in 
2020 during 
the pandemic 
compared 
to 2019. 

* Preliminary data

2019 2020

2019

2020

J F M A

J J A S O N D

Top 10 counties with the most distracted driving citations:

Allegheny

Montgomery 8%
11%

Chester

6%

Cumberland

5%

Philadelphia

5%

Berks

4%

Bucks

4%

Lancaster

4%

Lehigh

4%

York

4%

Data provided represents percentages over five years from 1/1/2016 – 12/31/2020 (unless noted) based on the 
following state law:  Title 75, sections 1621, 1622, 3314, 3316.

14

Legislative roundup by Damian J. Wachter, Esq.

The legislature continues with its spring session schedule. It will meet periodically through 
The legislature continues with its spring session schedule. It will meet periodically through 
May, and then every week in June until the 2021-22 budget is adopted. The budget will 
May, and then every week in June until the 2021-22 budget is adopted. The budget will 
benefit from passage of the American Rescue Plan, which the governor’s office estimates 
benefit from passage of the American Rescue Plan, which the governor’s office estimates 
will provide more than $13.7 billion in state and local funding for Pennsylvania. The budget 
will provide more than $13.7 billion in state and local funding for Pennsylvania. The budget 
debate will include decisions on how to allocate the state funding provided by the plan.   
debate will include decisions on how to allocate the state funding provided by the plan.   

Constitutional amendment and legislation – 
Constitutional amendment and legislation – 
statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse 
statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse 
claims and sovereign immunity 
claims and sovereign immunity 

After an error by the Department of State failing to 
adequately advertise the first passage of a constitutional 
amendment providing for a two-year window to bring 
childhood sexual abuse claims, the process had to be 
started anew. The legislature debated whether the failure 
of the department to advertise, and therefore preventing 
the amendment from appearing on the May 18, 2021 
municipal primary ballot, constituted an emergency 
allowing for a quicker process to adopt a constitutional 
amendment.  

House Bill 14  is a proposed constitutional amendment 
allowing individuals for whom a statutory limitations period 
has expired to have a period of two years from the time the 
constitutional amendment becomes effective to commence 
an action arising from childhood sexual abuse. In addition 
to survivors of childhood sexual abuse, the provisions 
apply to those whose claims are otherwise barred or 
limited by a statutory cap on damages, sovereign immunity 
or by governmental or official immunity. 

House Bill 951 would revive civil actions and provide for 
a two-year window to commence civil actions when the 
individual was under 18 years of age at the time the cause 
of action accrued, and the time limitation for the cause 
of action has expired. Additionally, the bill applies the 

sexual abuse exception to the defenses of sovereign and 
governmental immunity “retroactively to a cause of action 
that arose prior to the effective date of this subparagraph 
[i.e., immediately upon enactment] and prospectively to a 
cause of action that arises after the effective date.”

The bill would grant the Pa. Supreme Court with 
extraordinary jurisdiction to hear challenges to, or render 
declaratory judgements concerning, the constitutionality of 
the act. 

House Bill 14 started as a regular constitutional 
amendment, was changed by the Senate Judiciary 
Committee to an emergency amendment and reverted 
back to a regular constitutional amendment by the full 
Senate, which passed it 44-3. The House concurred in 
the Senate amendments by a vote of 188-13.  The bill will 
require second passage in 2023-24 before it can appear 
on the ballot.

The House passed HB 951 by a vote of 149-52. The bill has 
been referred to Senate Judiciary.

Vacancies in the Office of District Attorney
Vacancies in the Office of District Attorney

Senate Bills 84, 85 and 86 were enacted as Acts 7, 8 and 
9 of 2020, respectively. The acts seek to bring consistency 
to the way vacancies in the Office of District Attorney are 
filled, building off the passage of Act 78 of 2020.  

15

Acts 7 and 8 extend Act 78’s provisions to second class 
A and third class counties, and second class counties, 
respectively.  Thus, the Court of Common Pleas would 
appoint the first assistant district attorney upon a showing 
that he/she satisfies statutory qualifications.  If the first 
assistant does not satisfy the qualifications, the Court 
of Common Pleas would be required to fill the vacancy 
with a competent person who does. Under both bills, the 
individual appointed would serve until the first Monday in 
January following the next municipal election. The new 
provisions apply to vacancies occurring on or since March 
24.  

Act 9 prohibits language in home rule charters from 
granting any powers to municipalities contrary to, or in 
limitation or enlargement of, powers granted by statutes 
applicable to classes of municipalities (e.g., county codes), 
including the procedure for the filling district attorney 
vacancies.  The intent is to preempt and supersede 
any contrary provision in county home rule charters, 
ordinances or codes.

Cost of Living Adjustment Suspension
Cost of Living Adjustment Suspension

House Bill 583 would extend the suspension of the 2021 
cost of living adjustment to executive, legislative and 
judicial official annual salaries passed in Act 79 of 2020, to 
annual salaries in 2022, i.e., Jan. 1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 
2022. The bill was unanimously reported from House State 
Government and is currently tabled.

Qualifications of Legislative Reapportionment 
Qualifications of Legislative Reapportionment 
Commission (LRC) Chair
Commission (LRC) Chair

Senate Bill 441 provides for the qualifications of the 
chairperson of the LRC in addition to those in section 17 of 
Art. II of the Constitution.  

Specifically, the chairperson must be an individual who 
has voted in at least two of the last three statewide 
general elections immediately preceding the date of 
appointment.  Additionally, neither the chairperson nor his/ 
her spouse can have:  

•  Registered as a federal or state (PA) lobbyist in the five 
years immediately preceding the date of appointment;

•  Been nominated as a candidate for elective office in 

this Commonwealth by a political party or political 
body in the five years immediately preceding the date 
of appointment;

•  Served as a staff member or officer of a political 

party, political body, political committee or PAC in 
the Commonwealth in the five years immediately 
preceding the date of appointment; or,

•  Served as a staff member of an elected official in 
the Commonwealth in the five years immediately 
preceding the date of appointment.

The provisions would apply to the chairperson of the LRC 
next selected or appointed after the effective date of the 
bill.  

Under the constitution, the four members of the LRC 
(i.e., majority and minority floor leaders of each house) 
select the fifth member, who serves as chairman. “If 
the four members fail to select the fifth member, the 
entire membership of the Supreme Court … appoint the 
chairman.”

The legislation was unanimously reported from Senate 
State Government and is pending on second consideration. 

District Attorney/Attorney General Law Licenses
District Attorney/Attorney General Law Licenses

Senate Bill 420 adds to the qualifications of district 
attorneys – specifically, that the individual must 
continually hold an active law license during the period 
he/she is in office.

The bill establishes a process to address situations when 
district attorneys are disbarred or suspended. If disbarred, 
the office is considered vacant, and the vacancy must be 
filled pursuant to statute. If suspended, the district attorney 
is suspended from the office until the sooner of the 
reinstatement of the license, or the expiration of the current 
term. In such cases the first assistant district attorney 
acts as the district attorney if he/she is willing, qualified 
and able. If not, the Court of Common Pleas appoints a 
competent person satisfying the requirements.

The bill was reported unanimously from Senate Judiciary 
and is pending on third consideration.  

Senate Bill 457 is a constitutional amendment governing 
the qualifications of the attorney general, clarifying that 
he/she must be an active member of the bar.

The legislation establishes a process for situations 
when the attorney general is disbarred or suspended. If 
disbarred, the office is considered vacant. If suspended, 
the first deputy attorney general, if willing, qualified and 
able to hold the office, serves as the acting attorney 
general until the sooner of the reinstatement of the license, 
or the expiration of the current term. If the first deputy 
attorney general is not willing, qualified or able to serve, 
the executive deputy attorney general of the Criminal Law 
Division shall serve as the acting AG.

The bill was reported unanimously from Senate Judiciary 
and is pending in Appropriations.

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

16

Court language 
access analyst 
doubles as artist 

Whether it’s travel, photography, gardening or painting 
– channeling energy through a creative outlet has been 
proven to ease stress on both the mind and body. 

Like many people throughout the pandemic and periods 
of lockdown, AOPC Court Access Program Analyst Chase 
Chase 
Emanuel
Emanuel turned to a hobby – or perhaps in this case, more 
of a passion.  

Chase’s main form of artwork right now mostly centers 
around painting. In the past year and a half, he has 
completed about 30 paintings – a huge accomplishment 
for the young artist. 

It wasn’t until high school that Chase started to realize 
he had some artistic ability, and a teacher who saw his 
potential really pushed him to develop his skills. Deciding 
not to go the route of art school, he instead went on to 
graduate from the University of Pittsburgh majoring in 
Spanish.

In addition to being a talented artist, Chase is multilingual 
– speaking Spanish, as well as Portuguese and Italian. 

This comes in handy for him – both in his job with the 
AOPC and sporadically during his international travels – 
another passion for Chase, prior to the pandemic. 

While most of his travels have been around Europe 
and the Caribbean, Chase particularly likes Spain after 
having studied abroad in Barcelona. Croatia, St. Lucia 
and Denmark are among a few of his other favorite travel 
destinations abroad.  

Another form of his artwork is the occasional making of 
videos documenting his different travel experiences across 
the world. 

While he has painted a few pieces for friends, Chase said 
that art is something he really does for fun. In the future, he 
is looking to expand the media he works with to get more 
involved with pottery and ceramics, as his passion for art, 
in all forms, continues to evolve.

“Painting definitely helped keep 
me busy and sane during the 
pandemic, especially during the 
earlier days where everything 
was closed and there were limited 
options for entertainment,” he 
said. “It’s a great way to relax 
and is very therapeutic.”

Among his inspirations are Van Gogh, Dalí, 
Picasso, Françoise Nielly and Franz Marc. 

17

Listening. Learning. Educating. 
Autism and the Courts awareness efforts continue 

“At first glance, an individual with autism may 
appear to be disinterested, disrespectful or lacking 
remorse when in reality, they are trying to survive, 
what they perceive as an extremely stressful 
situation. Judges need to know the difference and be 
flexible in how the proceedings occur and how the 
individual is involved. Otherwise, we are not fulfilling 
our responsibility to pursue fairness and justice for 
this disadvantaged group.”

He went on to explain that it’s the first 60 seconds of the 
encounter that sets the tone for the rest of the hearing, 
so his goal is to make the individual feel at ease.  He said 
he will greet them in a manner that makes them more 
comfortable – maybe with a joke or positive comment.  

“If the person with autism is initially addressed 
aggressively or in a negative manner, it may elicit 
reactions which could include a complete shutting down or 
heightened anxiety, in which very little is accomplished,” 
Judge Minor explained. 

He said that this is especially true in juvenile matters, 
where a judge should make every attempt to put the 
individual at ease, to speak informally, and to initially 
focus on some positive issues involving the juvenile. 

“I have instructed the juvenile probation officers to find 
something positive to say about the juvenile before 
delving into more difficult issues. A therapy dog or 
the accompaniment of a support person sitting with 
the individual is also helpful. These accommodations 
ordinarily will result in an individual with autism actually 
participating in the proceeding and ensuring that his/her 
voice is heard and needs are addressed.”

PJ Minor also spoke about some of the signs judges should 
be aware of to assess individuals in their courtroom. 

“A judge should be deliberate in assessing each 
participant by direct eye contact with him/her to detect 
signs of autism. Physical expressions such as lack of 
eye contact, inability to express themselves, difficulty 
maintaining expected behaviors, having support persons 
accompanying them, and the like, may alert a judge that 
the individual has autism.”

He said that the judge should not hesitate to stop the 
proceedings and have discussions at the bench with 
counsel to identify the limitations of the individual and to 
formulate a plan on how to best proceed.  

The final upcoming regional forums will be held on April 
27 (Northeast Pa.) and June 17 (Western Pa.). 

Since its statewide launch in November, the Autism and 
the Courts initiative has produced a thoughtful, ongoing 
conversation about overcoming challenges for individuals 
with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involved with the 
criminal justice system.  

More than 1,000 people have participated in the previous 
three regional forums – Philadelphia (Jan. 26), Lehigh 
Valley (Feb. 23) and Central Pa. (Mar. 23), and two more 
forums are upcoming to conclude the statewide listening 
tour. 

Offering the different perspectives of many key 
stakeholders, the panels have been comprised of 
judges, district attorneys, parents, self-advocates, law 
enforcement, healthcare providers, etc. 

Leading the movement on behalf of the Pa. Supreme 
Court, Justice Kevin Dougherty
Kevin Dougherty explained at the most 
recent forum that the end goal of the initiative is a better 
understanding of an empathetic judicial system and more 
knowledgeable stakeholders overall. 

“The goal here is simple – listen to those living in silence 
for too long, learn from their experiences and give power 
to their voices to educate those around us,” Justice 
Dougherty said. “That’s the way you work together to 
bring about real and lasting change for people in need.”

One of the judges participating in the Central Pa. forum 
was Potter County Common Pleas President Judge 
Stephen Minor
Stephen Minor, who himself has two family members 
on the autism spectrum. He spoke to the importance for 
judges to recognize and understand the needs of those in 
their court who have (or might have) autism. 

“As the gate keepers of the judicial system, judges have 
a unique and critical role in educating ourselves about 
autism and asking probing questions concerning those 
who appear before us to ensure that the person with 
autism is able to appreciate the proceedings and fully 
express himself/herself,” he said.

more INFORMATION More information on the initiative and recordings of past forums 

are available at pacourts.us/learn/autism-and-the-courts

18

NCSC:  ONE YEAR LATER, 
WHAT WOULD WE HAVE 
DONE DIFFERENTLY?

It’s been a year since the coronavirus 
epidemic became a pandemic and 
upended court services like never 
before. As we approached this 
infamous anniversary, we asked 
judges, administrators and other court 
leaders to look back and answer 
this question: If you knew in March 
2020 what you know now about the 
pandemic, what, if anything, would 
you have done differently?

A longer version of this story can be 
found here, but here’s some of what 
they said:

T.J. BeMent, district court 
T.J. BeMent, district court 
administrator, Superior Courts of 
administrator, Superior Courts of 
Georgia: 
Georgia: “Had we known how well 
many court functions could be 
transitioned to video, we would have 
adapted and modified our state rules 
much sooner to keep more than just 
essential functions moving in the early 
months. 

“And on a personal-business note, I 
lost both my chief probation officer 
and a judge to COVID.  In hindsight, 
I would have pushed even more for 
following public health guidelines in 
all of our court locations in the early 
months regardless if court was the 
source of their exposure.” 

Charles Byers, chief information 
Charles Byers, chief information 
officer, Kentucky Court of Justice: 
officer, Kentucky Court of Justice: “…I 
would have slowed down, been more 
deliberate, and set my mind to a 
24-to-36-month mode vs. a 90-day 
mode. I assumed this was going to 
burn out much quicker than it has.

“…As it is, solutions that were thrown 
together to get us by temporarily 
until we could reopen are strained by 
the longer-than-expected shutdown 
and the mandate that we keep 
cases moving. As a Band-Aid is not a 

substitute for stitches, some of what 
we delivered would be more suited for 
longer-term use had we known.”

Judge Toko Serita, acting supreme 
Judge Toko Serita, acting supreme 
court justice, New York City Criminal 
court justice, New York City Criminal 
Court, Queens County: 
Court, Queens County: “…In terms of 
what I would have done differently 
based on what I now know, I would 
have focused on earlier and better 
coordination among the court and our 
stakeholders, earlier contact with the 
defendants in terms of assessing their 
immediate needs, and better efforts at 
coordinated care and services for our 
at-risk and vulnerable populations.”

Ret. Judge Kevin Burke, Hennepin 
Ret. Judge Kevin Burke, Hennepin 
County (Minnesota) District Court:
County (Minnesota) District Court: “…
What we did very well is protect the 
health of our staff. We were good at 
being nimble and protecting litigants 
and lawyers. We were not as good 
dealing with incarcerated defendants 
and may well have made life far more 
difficult for public defenders whose 
clients were incarcerated.”

Deborah Taylor Tate, director, 
Deborah Taylor Tate, director, 
Tennessee Administrative Office of 
Tennessee Administrative Office of 
the Courts:
the Courts: “First, while I was not an 
ardent supporter of AWS (alternative 
work space), I am now so very 
thankful that our division directors 
pushed me into establishing an 
official AWS policy and arming all our 
staff with the ability and technology 
to work remotely.… I think that if we 
had known this would be a year, I 
would have had a different, longer 
term view. We probably would have 
made a decision to work remotely for 
the entire year rather than expending 
time and energy to plan a return to 
the workplace, only to reverse that 
decision.

Gene Valentini, director, Lubbock 
Gene Valentini, director, Lubbock 
County (Texas) Office of Dispute 
County (Texas) Office of Dispute 

Resolution: 
Resolution: “…The pandemic changed 
how people prepare for and negotiate 
during a mediation.…More emphasis 
was needed in utilizing different tools 
to educate users of civil and criminal 
processes via virtual mediation. 
In hindsight, this perhaps was our 
oversight —different tools were 
needed to resolve disputes.

“Lastly, one of our jurists died from 
COVID. We parked next to each other 
for 14 years.

“Had I known he would leave us, 
I would have told him how much 
I appreciated him.  Thank you, 
Judge Ruben Reyes. You are a friend 
not forgotten.”

Howard Berchtold, trial court 
Howard Berchtold, trial court 
administrator, Superior Court of 
administrator, Superior Court of 
New Jersey, Atlantic and Cape May 
New Jersey, Atlantic and Cape May 
counties: 
counties: “…I posed a similar question 
to our management team.… Everyone 
agreed that we were far too hesitant 
to take things as seriously as we 
should have.  Safety measures should 
have been put in place immediately 
and enforced.…Our COOP plans were 
good but honestly did not account 
for a full pandemic and not being 
in public buildings at all.  Internet 
access, more webcams and headsets, 
etc. should have been on hand.”  

Marty Sullivan, director, Administrative 
Marty Sullivan, director, Administrative 
Office of the Courts, Arkansas: 
Office of the Courts, Arkansas: “I wish 
I would have known more about work-
life balance before the pandemic 
started.…Once we realized the full 
threat of the pandemic, we had to 
make plans to protect our employees.  
We scrambled to purchase more 
laptops and provided Zoom and Team 
accounts for everyone within the 
organization.” 

This is an excerpt from the National Center of State Courts (NCSC) newsletter – @ the Center. 

19

Staff transitions in AOPC/HR 

After 23 years with AOPC’s Human 
Resources (HR) department, Benefits 
Administrator Nancy Kranz
Nancy Kranz retired at 
the end of March 2021. Nancy’s career 
in Human Resources spanned 35 
years, having worked for Giant Foods 
for 12 years prior to coming to the 
AOPC. 

time to exercise, spending time with 
her grandchildren and doing some 
remodeling. 

Beth Schneider has been 

With Kranz’s departure, veteran AOPC 
employee, Beth Schneider
promoted from senior benefits analyst 
to benefits administrator after working 
alongside Nancy Kranz for the past 23 
years.  

“We are honored that members 
trust our guidance and we will 
continue with the highest-level of 
service to our members and their 
families. As we look to the future, 
we realize employees increasingly 
want electronic access to benefits 
and policy information and we will 
continue to seek ways to keep benefit 
information at employee’s fingertips,” 
added Schneider. 

As a result of these transitions, AOPC 
Molly  Corman  has 
Benefits  Analyst,  Molly  Corman
moved  into  Schneider’s  previous  role 
as senior benefits analyst. Corman has 
over 15 years of experience in HR and 
benefits administration.

Nancy Kranz 

“Fate smiled on me when this position 
appeared at a time when I wasn’t 
really looking to change jobs, and I 
feel truly blessed, as I could not have 
asked for a more rewarding career 
or a better team of coworkers,” Kranz 
said. 

Reflecting on her work with the AOPC, 
Nancy has most enjoyed helping 
judiciary employees – during both 
difficult times (illness, loss of a loved 
one, divorce) and the happy moments 
(marriage, birth, adoption and 
retirement).   

“Our goal has always been to keep 
benefits as simple as possible for our 
members and retirees; helping them in 
any way we can,” added Kranz.

During retirement, she is most 
looking forward to having more 

Beth Schneider

Prior to joining the judiciary, Schneider 
worked in Human Resources for two 
years for the federal government 
while simultaneously earning 
her bachelor’s degree in Public 
Administration through Hawaii Pacific 
University. 

“I have been extremely fortunate to 
work and mentor with Nancy who has 
forged a legacy of professionalism 
with a deep commitment to advocacy 
for judiciary members and staff,” 
commented Schneider. 

and 

evolve 

Benefits administration and healthcare 
constantly 
AOPC/
HR  has  adapted  to  the  changing 
landscape  while  offering  a  robust 
and  comprehensive  benefits  package 
and  advocating  for  employees  and 
retirees. 

Throughout the pandemic, HR staff 
answered hundreds of calls from 
members who wanted reassurance 
that they, and their family, would be 
covered if they got sick from COVID or 
received the vaccine. 

20

Molly Corman

“I am so honored to be part of a team 
that works together to provide an 
exceptional level of customer service 
on a daily basis,” Corman said. “The 
shift in responsibilities does not mean 
a move into roles that are completely 
foreign to anyone, and our members 
should expect to receive the same 
level of attention they have always 
received from the HR team.”

Employees and retirees should 
continue to reach out to the benefits 
team by calling 717-231-3309 or by 
emailing human.resources@pacourts.
us. 

Congratulations to all of these ladies!

Creating a digital history 
of the Pa Superior Court

Superior Court President Judge Jack Panella
a two-part project that focuses on preserving the history of the Court. The 
project includes the organizing of a Superior Court Historical Society, as well 
as the development of a webpage to support their work. 

Jack Panella is in the process of completing 

Through a lot of research, PJ Panella was able to put together a 
comprehensive list of all Superior Court judges dating back to the Court’s 
establishment in 1895 – something that did not exist in an easily retrievable 
manner until now.  

Broken up into four categories (commissioned, appointed, senior and 
president), the complete historical list will be included on a new webpage 
that is still under development.  

In addition to the list of judges, PJ Panella said that digital copies of historical 
documents and books about the Superior Court will also be featured on the 
webpage – including a copy of Keystone of Justice, written by former Judge 
Patrick Tamilia and attorney John Hare, who provide a history of the Court up 
to the year 2000 when it was published. 

Also accessible on the webpage will be a three-volume set of the 
Pennsylvania Superior Court Ceremonial Sessions, dating back to the first 
judge on the Court – the publisher of whom is providing digital copies. The 
third volume, which Judge John Bender
begins with the ceremonial sessions for all Superior Court judges from 2006 
through present day and will be included on the webpage once finished.  

John Bender is currently working on editing, 

An article on the history of the Court, published in conjunction with the 
Pennsylvania Bar Association for their shared 100-year anniversary, will also 
be made available to link to on the webpage.  

The final part of the project, which will also be included on the webpage, are 
short video interviews with a few notable Superior Court judges. 

While the final interviews are currently still underway, a few have already 
been filmed and offer unique insight into these judges’ different experiences 
serving on the Court. The interviews are significant in nature in that they 
include thoughtful conversations with some of the Court’s “firsts.”

Phyllis Beck (ret.), interviewed by her daughter and current Superior 
Alice Beck Dubow, spoke about what it was like to be the first 

Judge Phyllis Beck 
Court Judge Alice Beck Dubow
woman to serve on the Superior Court. 

Another first for the Court, PJE Kate Ford Elliot
served as the Court’s first female president judge. As part of this project, 
she was interviewed by former Superior Court judge and former dean of 
Duquesne Law School Maureen Lally-Green

Kate Ford Elliot offered her perspective having 

Maureen Lally-Green. 

Also interviewed was PJE Correale Stevens
experience has been uniquely shaped having served on both the Superior 
and state Supreme Court. 

Correale Stevens, who spoke about how his judicial 

Determined to have the webpage up and running by the end of the year, 
PJ Panella hopes it will serve as a valuable, easily-accessible resource for 
members of the legal community, as well as the public.  

21

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
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 @PACourts
YouTube @PACourts
Instagram @pennsylvaniacourts

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Max Baer
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania

Thomas G. Saylor
Justice 

Debra Todd
Justice

Christine Donohue
Justice

Kevin M. Dougherty
Justice

David N. Wecht
Justice

Sallie Updyke Mundy
Justice