News

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Re-establishes Expanded Judicial Council to Assist in Managing Unified Judicial System

News Article

January 19, 1998

HARRISBURG, January 20, 1998 - Chief Justice of Pennsylvania John P. Flaherty today announced that the Judicial Council of Pennsylvania has been re-established and expanded to assist the Court in managing the Commonwealth's Unified Judicial System (UJS). The Judicial Council, which has been inactive since the 1970's, is an advisory body with broad-based membership from all three branches of state government, the legal community, and citizens-at-large. The Council held its first meeting today in Harrisburg. "The Judicial Council will help provide the dynamic, consultative leadership which is essential as the Commonwealth and my colleagues on the Court wrestle with complex administrative issues inherent to modern state judicial systems," said Mr. Chief Justice Flaherty. "The Council will serve in a two-pronged advisory capacity to the Court by making recommendations on matters referred to it by the Court and, from time to time, on its own initiative. Among the immediate issues for Judicial Council deliberation will be those relating to the manageable transition to a unified system." Mr. Chief Justice Flaherty said the Supreme Court has sought to ensure more diverse points of view by including for the first time on the Judicial Council representation from both majority and minority parties of the state House and Senate through appointments by the four respective caucus leaders, as well as from the Executive Branch by gubernatorial appointments. The Council will be composed of committees. All areas of judicial administration and rules of court practice will occupy the attention of the Council. The Judicial Council is established under the rule-making authority granted by statute to the Supreme Court. Members of the expanded Council meeting for the first time today are: • Mr. Chief Justice Flaherty, Chair; two Justices of the Supreme Court selected by the Supreme Court: Ralph J. Cappy and Sandra Schultz Newman; Court Administrator of Pennsylvania Nancy M. Sobolevitch; President Judge of Superior Court Stephen J. McEwen, Jr.; and President Judge of Commonwealth Court James Gardner Colins. • Also, one member of the state Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Robert C. Jubelirer, President Pro Tempore of the Senate; one member of the state House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives: J. Scot Chadwick, a member of the House Judiciary Committee; three members appointed by the Governor: Paul A. Tufano, Esq., General Counsel in the Governor's Executive Office; Evans Rose, Jr., Esq., and a third designee of the Governor still to be named; one designee of the Minority Leader of the Senate: G. Craig Lord, Esq.; and one designee of the Minority Leader of the House: Ronald A. White, Esq. Also, three non-judge members of the bar from the Civil Procedural Rules, Criminal Procedural Rules and Minor Rules committees appointed by the Supreme Court: Edwin L. Klett, Esq., of the Civil Procedural Rules Committee; John P. Delaney, Jr., Esq., of the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee; and Peter P. Simoni, Esq., of the Minor Court Rules Committee; one non-judge member of the bar appointed by the Supreme Court: Mark A. Aronchick, Esq.; three non-lawyer electors from a different geographical area of the state appointed by the Chief Justice: Lawrence (Larry) R. Werner, Partner/Director and Executive Vice President of Ketchum Public Relations, Pittsburgh; Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis, President of Drexel University, Philadelphia; and Carl L. Campbell, President and CEO of Keystone Financial, Inc., Harrisburg. • Also, President Judge of Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas Alex Bonavitacola; President Judge of Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Robert E. Dauer; President of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, Monroe County Common Pleas Court Judge Linda Wallach Miller; three Common Pleas Court judges (from other than Philadelphia and Allegheny counties) appointed by the Supreme Court: Delaware County Common Pleas Court President Judge A. Leo Sereni, Lehigh County Common Pleas Court Judge Carol K. McGinley, and Northampton County Common Pleas Court President Judge Robert A. Freedberg; and one judge of courts other than appellate and Common Pleas courts appointed by the Supreme Court: Montgomery County District Justice Henry J. Schireson.