News

Retail theft offenses in Pennsylvania increased by 30 percent from 2021 to 2022, following years in decline.

The infographic highlights retail theft data from 2018 to 2022 including the statewide number of retail theft offenses by month, the top 10 counties with the highest number of retail theft offenses and statewide defendant demographics....

December 08

Focused on preserving and celebrating the rich and distinguished history of the Court, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today cut the ribbon on its new history center at the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg....

November 28

A team of Bedford County officials, departments, treatment providers, and community groups gathered today to announce their cooperation in combating drug addiction through the establishment of a Drug Treatment Court and other supporting measures....

November 28

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will hold oral argument sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tues., Nov. 28, Wed., Nov. 29 and Thurs., Nov. 30 in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the Capitol building in Harrisburg....

November 28

Pennsylvania’s veteran population ranks fourth in the U.S. with over 769,423 veterans as of 2022. Since 2009, Pennsylvania’s Veterans Treatment Courts have been assisting veterans who are charged with crimes and are struggling with substance abuse disorder, mental illness or other co-occurring disorders....

November 03

After years of extensive renovations, the Old Lehigh County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has reopened as the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse. The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County today held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the building’s full restoration in Courtroom 1A....

October 20

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd today announced that Montgomery County Judge Lois Murphy and Philadelphia County Administrative Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper have been named to leadership positions with the Supreme Court Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts....

October 10

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht is set to visit the University of California - Berkeley Law School, where he will participate in a special event hosted by the Jewish Student Association at Berkeley Law....

October 10

In 2022, the number of new Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders filed statewide increased by five percent from 2021. A PFA is a civil court order to help protect victims of domestic violence, providing relief from abuse by an intimate partner, family or household member. Additional information about protection orders is available here....

October 06

Hosted by the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC) and Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts, the first Pennsylvania Guardianship Justice Summit is being held on Sept. 20-22, 2023....

September 20

Monroe County President Judge Margherita Patti Worthington has announced that the emergency circumstances at the Monroe County Courthouse have been resolved....

September 18

Pennsylvania Courts facilitated 49,229 statewide requests for interpreters in 2022 – a 36 percent increase from the year prior. The infographic below highlights key court data including the top 10 counties for language access and interpreter expenses as well as the top 10 languages requested. ...

September 15

The Pennsylvania Courts have announced the establishment of a Regional Veterans Treatment Court which will serve eight central Pennsylvania counties. The Court is anticipated to begin proceedings in early 2024....

September 13

Monroe County President Judge Margherita Patti Worthington today assured Monroe County residents that the court system is open and operational while work is being done to restore power to the courthouse complex....

September 13

Recognizing the importance of family and kin to a child’s well-being and the critical role of high-quality legal representation in the dependency system, the Pennsylvania State Roundtable’s Kinship Care Taskforce today hosted its third statewide, regional education session for dependency court attorneys.   ...

August 15

In Pennsylvania, two school zone traffic laws have been cited more than 25,583 times over the past five years (2018-2022). The infographic below highlights key data and demographics about violations for speeding in school zones or illegally passing a school bus....

August 10

In a unanimous vote during their annual conference, the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges endorsed the work of a statewide taskforce of bar groups focused on developing the next generation of civil trial lawyers through Project LITIGATE. The Conference went further and adopted best practices by trial judges to advance the goals of Project LITIGATE....

August 02

On behalf of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, Hon. Jennifer R. Sletvold, Administrative Judge of Problem-Solving Courts, has announced the establishment of Northampton County Veterans' Court. ...

August 02

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court today announced the appointment of David Price as the next deputy court administrator, replacing Andrea Tuominen who is succeeding Geoff Moulton as state court administrator following his retirement at the end of September. ...

July 27

Under Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), 6,765 people were sentenced as sexual offenders between 2018 to 2022, and were charged with 26,168 offenses. Of those sexual offenders who were sentenced, 51% were between the ages of 19-35, and 47% were charged with child pornography....

July 07

Recognizing the importance of training and education, a regional summit on Autism and the Courts hosted by Beaver and Fayette counties was held today in Canonsburg, Pa. for court personnel and partners focusing on the basics about autism, diagnosis and community support. ...

June 02

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will hold oral argument session on Tues., May 23 and Wed., May 24 in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the Capitol building in Harrisburg. ...

May 22

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania Courts today released an infographic highlighting data from the state’s mental health courts....

May 08

The Pennsylvania Courts, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Data Center, have developed a new interactive tool that allows users to visualize the boundaries of all 509 magisterial district courts (MDC) in Pennsylvania....

May 03

Focused on the importance of the Pennsylvania Judiciary in civics education, the Pennsylvania Courts today held their first annual Take Your Child to Work Day event, inviting staff from all sectors of the judiciary to bring their children to work to learn about the work and the role of the state court system....

April 26

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd today announced the upcoming retirement of Court Administrator of Pennsylvania Geoff Moulton, who advised the court that he will depart Sept. 30 after seven years of service to the Pennsylvania judiciary....

April 25

Recognizing the importance of training and education, a regional summit on Autism and the Courts was held today in Pittsburgh for Allegheny County court personnel and partners focusing on the basics about autism, diagnosis and community support....

April 20

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will hold oral argument sessions on Tues., April 18 and Wed., April 19 in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the City-County Building in Pittsburgh, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on both days....

April 17

Focused on reducing trauma and supporting children and families in the court system with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty, on behalf of the Court is once again promoting autism acceptance throughout the court system and encouraging judges and staff to join them in the effort....

April 11

Distracted driving citations in Pennsylvania continue to trend downward as 2022 data shows citations decreased 10 percent from last year – representing a 60 percent decrease from 2018....

April 03

In recognition of National Women’s History Month, the Pennsylvania Courts today released an infographic looking at the history of women in the Pennsylvania judiciary, as well as those women currently serving....

March 03

On the eve of Women’s History Month, Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd, the first female chief justice in Pennsylvania history, today recognized women in Pennsylvania state government breaking new ground for future generations....

February 28

Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas is advising the public to stay vigilant against a recently reported jury duty related phone scam....

February 21

Over the past five years, underage drinking citations statewide totaled 45,402. In Pennsylvania, an underage drinking citation is issued to anyone under the age of 21 who is caught possessing, consuming, transporting, purchasing or attempting to purchase any alcoholic beverage. These numbers do not include driving under the influence citations....

February 03

Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd today made history as she was formally sworn-in as Pennsylvania’s 58^th Chief Justice, becoming the first woman installed as chief in the Court’s 300-year history....

January 20

Over the last five years, 1,096 human-trafficking offenses were charged statewide. Human Trafficking is a type of human rights abuse where people profit from the exploitation of others – mainly using force, fraud or coercion to manipulate victims into engaging in sex acts or labor/services in exchange for something of value....

January 05