FAQ PA Judicial System

Magisterial District Justices are part of the minor courts, or special courts, on the first level of Pennsylvania’s judiciary. MDJs do not have to be lawyers, but they are required to pass a qualifying exam after completing a rigorous training and education program administered by the Minor Judiciary Education Board. Each court has its own elected judges. Small Claims Court cases are handled in Pennsylvania at the Magisterial District Court. In Magisterial District Court, a party is not required to have an attorney. A plaintiff cannot file a claim for more than $12,000. The plaintiff is required to file a filing fee when filing the complaint. There is also an additional cost for serving the defendant with the claim. If the plaintiff wins, these costs can potentially be recovered from the defendant.

Responsible for:

• Deciding if serious criminal cases go to the Court of Common Pleas
• Preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings
• Setting and accepting bail (except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases)
• Emergency protection-from-abuse-orders
• Small claims cases, for claims under $12,000
• Landlord – tenant matters
• Municipal code violations
• Motor vehicle violations (Philadelphia has a separate traffic court)

Appeals from the Magisterial District Judge go to the Court of Common Pleas.

Magisterial District Judges serve 6-year terms and can serve an unlimited number of terms until the mandatory retirement age of 75. Yearly salary $91,597.

Lehigh County has 14 Magisterial District Courts, each staffed by an elected Magisterial District Judge, located throughout the county.
On June 28, 2022, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court approved the following changes to the Magisterial Districts within Lehigh County*:
►reestablishment of Magisterial Districts 31-1-02, 31-1-03, 31-1-05, 31-1-06, 31-1-07, 31-1-08, 31-2-02, and 31-3-01
►elimination of Magisterial District 31-2-03, effective November 1, 2022
►realignment of Magisterial Districts 31-3-02 and 31-3-03, effective November 1, 2022
►realignment of Magisterial Districts 31-1-01, 31-1-04, and 31-2-01, effective January 1, 2024
►addition of a newly created magisterial district, 31-1-09 effective January 1, 2024. This newly created magisterial district shall be filled in the municipal election of 2023.

*Source Pennsylvania Supreme Court No. 492 Magisterial Rules Docket

Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Listing of the 14 Magisterial District Courts

Find Your Magisterial District District & Justice Look-up Tool
31-1-01 Linda D. Vega-D, Allentown Wards 8 (Term expires 2027)
31-1-02 Rashid O. Santiago-D, Allentown Wards 4, 7, 11. (Term expires 2025)
31-1-03 Ronald S. Manescu-D, Allentown Wards 3, 13, 17, 18. (Term expires 2027)
31-1-04 David M. Howells-R, Allentown Wards 12, 19. (Term expires 2029)
31-1-05 Michael D. D’Amore, Allentown Wards 14, 15; Hanover Twp (Lehigh County); Catasauqua. (Term expires 2029)
31-1-06 Amy Zanelli-D, Bethlehem Wards 10, 11, 12, 13; Fountain Hill. (Term expires 2027)
31-1-07 Todd P. Heffelfinger-D, Whitehall Twp; Coplay. (Term expires 2025)
31-1-08 Kyle Miller-R, Allentown Ward 16; Salisbury Twp. (Term expires 2029)
31-1-09 Mark McCants-D, Allentown, Wards 6, 10 (Term expires 2029)*

31-2-01 Karen C. Devine-D, Allentown wards 1, 2, 5, 9. (Term expires 2027)
31-2-02 Jacob E. Hammond-R, North Whitehall Twp; South Whitehall Twp. (Term expires 2025)

31-3-01 Tom Creighton-R, Slatington; Heidelberg Twp; Lowhill Twp; Lynn Twp; Washington Twp; Weisenberg Twp. (Term expires 2029)
31-3-02 Michael Faulkner-R, Alburtis; Lower Macungie Twp; Upper Macungie Twp. (Term expires 2029)
31-3-03 Dan Trexler-R, Coopersburg; Emmaus; Macungie; Lower Milford Township; Upper Milford Township; Upper Saucon Township (Term expires 2025)

Sources: Pennsylvania Supreme Court No. 492 Magisterial Rules Docket; Lehigh County League of Women Voters; Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Listing of the 14 Magisterial District Courts
*before 2023, identified as 2-03, changed to 1-09 in 2023

The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, located in Allentown, is one of the 60 Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas. The Lehigh County Court of Common Please is comprised of ten full time judges and two senior judges providing judicial services to the citizens of Lehigh County. Each full time judge is assigned to one or more of the court divisions, which are the Criminal/Juvenile Division, the combined Civil/Motion/Family Court Division and the Orphans’ Court Division.

• Adult criminal cases
• Juvenile delinquency cases
• Lawsuits involving money or property
• Divorce, custody disputes
• Child support issues
• Juvenile dependency cases
• Estates
• Guardianships and adoptions
• Appeals from the minor courts
• Appeals not exclusively assigned to another court

Provides Judicial Oversight:

• Court Administration
• Adult Probation
• Juvenile Probation
• Domestic Relations Section
• Court Transcription Unit
• Protection from Abuse Office
• Court Interpreting Unit
• Child Custody Office
• Law Library

Provides Administrative Services to the fourteen offices that comprise the Magisterial District Court System of Lehigh County.

Terms are ten years and the merit retention provision of Pennsylvania’s constitution allows judges to be retained with a simple “yes” or “no” vote, without ballot reference to political affiliation. This provision was designed to remove judges from political pressure once they begin their first term of office. Judges may serve an unlimited number of terms until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75. Yearly salary $183,184.

Lehigh County List of Court of Common Pleas Judges

President Judge J. Brian Johnson, R  (Retention vote 2033)
Judge Douglas G. Reichley, R (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Robert L. Steinberg (Retention vote 2027)
Judge James T. Anthony ( Retention vote 2027)
Judge Michele A. Varricchio (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Melissa Pavlack (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks (Retention vote 2030)
Judge Thomas M. Caffrey (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Thomas A. Capehart (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Zachary J. Cohen (Retention vote 2031)

Lehigh County List of Court of Common Pleas Judges
Sources: Lehigh County League of Women Voters

The Commonwealth Court is one of two statewide intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court is primarily responsible for matters involving state and local governments and regulatory agencies. It also acts as a trial court when lawsuits are filed by or against the Commonwealth. The court is made up of nine judges. The president judge is chosen by his or her colleagues for a five-year term. Cases are generally heard by panels of three judges in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, although, on occasion, they may choose to hold court in other locations. Cases may also be heard by a single judge or by en banc panels of seven judges.

Responsible for:

• Original civil actions brought by and against the Commonwealth,
• Appeals from decisions made by state agencies and the Courts of Common Pleas
• Environmental impact cases
• Natural gas regulation challenges
• Challenges to voting district lines

Commonwealth Court terms are ten years and the merit retention provision of Pennsylvania’s constitution allows judges to be retained with a simple “yes” or “no” vote, without ballot reference to political affiliation. This provision was designed to remove judges from political pressure once they begin their first term of office. Judges may serve an unlimited number of terms until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75. Yearly salary $199,114. President Judge of the Commonwealth Court salary $205,253.

PA Courts List of Commonwealth Court Judges

Renée Cohn Jubelirer, R (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Anne E. Covey R (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Patricia A. McCullough, R (Retention vote 2029)
Judge Michael H. Wojcik, D (Retention vote 2026)
Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon, R (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Ellen Ceisler, D (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Stacy Wallace, R (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Lori Dumas, D (Retention vote 2031)
Judge Matthew S. Wolf D (Retention vote 2033)

Sources: Ballotpedia This source also has biographical and election information on individual judges.
PA Courts List of Commonwealth Court Judges Has biographical information.

The Superior Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts. The Superior Court is often the final arbiter of criminal and most civil cases from the Court of Common Pleas. The superior court consists of 15 judges. The president judge is chosen by his or her colleagues for a five-year term. Cases are usually heard by panels of three judges sitting in Philadelphia, Harrisburg or Pittsburgh, but may also be heard en banc by nine judges. The Superior Court often travels to locations throughout Pennsylvania to hear cases.
Responsible for:

• Appeals in criminal and most civil cases from the Courts of Common Pleas
• Appeals on matters involving children and families
• Review and decide on wiretapping applications presented by the state’s attorney general and district attorneys under Pennsylvania’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act

Superior Court Justices serve 10-year terms. After the initial 10-year term, the merit retention provision of Pennsylvania’s constitution allows judges to be retained with a simple “yes” or “no” vote, without ballot reference to political affiliation. This provision was designed to remove judges from political pressure once they begin their first term of office. Judges may serve an unlimited number of terms until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.   Yearly salary is $199,114. President Judge of the Superior Court salary $205,253.

PA Courts List of Superior Court Judges

President Judge Anne E. Lazarus, D (Retention vote 2029)
President Judge Emeritus Jack A. Panella, D (Retention vote 2033)
Judge Mary Jane Bowes, R (Retention vote 2029)
Judge Victor P. Stabile, R (Retention vote 2033)
Judge Alice Beck Dubow, D (Retention vote 2025)
Judge Deborah A. Kunselman, D (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Carolyn H. Nichols, D (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Mary P. Murray, R (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Maria McLaughlin, D (Retention vote 2027)
Judge Judith Ference Olson, R (Retention vote 2029)
Judge Megan McCarthy King, R (Retention vote 2029)
Judge Jill Beck, D (Retention vote 2033)
Judge Timika Lane, D (Retention vote 2033)

President Judge Emeritus Correale F. Stevens (retired)
President Judge Emeritus, John T. Bender, R (retired)
Senior Judge James Gardner Colins (retired)

PA Courts List of Superior Court Judges
Sources: Ballotpedia This source also has biographical and election information on individual judges.
PA Courts List of Superior Court Judges Has biographical information.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort and has seven elected judges. The Supreme Court’s administrative powers and jurisdictional responsibilities are vested with the seven-member court by the Pennsylvania State Constitution and a collection of statutes known as the Judicial Code. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court hears discretionary appeals from the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, and it hears certain direct appeals from the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over direct appeals in felonious homicide, right to public office, Probate or Orphans’ Courts matters, contempt cases an questions of constitutionality of a statute. Other appeals are discretionary. The court can assume jurisdiction over any case in the Pennsylvania court system at any state of the proceedings, if it is a question of immediate public importance. Administratively, all the courts within the Unified Judicial System are largely responsible for organizing their own staff and dockets; however, the Supreme Court has several committees and boards responsible for writing and enforcing rules for judges, attorneys, and litigants to ensure an efficient and fair judicial review.

The Supreme Court has Jurisdiction Over Cases Involving:

• Habeas corpus — determination if a prisoner is legally detained
• Mandamus — compel a lower court or a government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly
• Quo Warranto — used to challenge another’s right to either public or corporate office or to challenge the legality of a corporation’s charter
• Requests for discretionary appeals from the Commonwealth Court and Superior Court
• Certain direct Appeals from the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, including when a sentence of death is issued
• Requests to intervene in a lower court’s proceedings
• The court can assume jurisdiction over any case in the Pennsylvania court system
• Other appeals are discretionary

Annually, the seven justices receive over 3,000 requests for appellate review.

Terms are ten years and the merit retention provision of Pennsylvania’s constitution allows judges to be retained with a simple “yes” or “no” vote, without ballot reference to political affiliation. This provision was designed to remove judges from political pressure once they begin their first term of office. Judges may serve an unlimited number of terms until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Vacancies are filled by appointment. Appointed judges are allowed to run in the next general election more than 10 months after the vacancy; however, by Pennsylvania tradition, most interim judges do not stand for election.

Yearly salary $211,02, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court salary $217,168.

PA Courts List of Commonwealth Court Judges

List of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judges

Justice Christine Donohue, D (Retention vote 2025)
Justice Kevin M. Dougherty, D (Retention vote 2025)
Justice David N. Wecht, D (Retention vote 2025)
Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy, R (Retention vote 2026) Nominated by Gov. Wolf to fill vacancy, Elected in 2017
Justice Debra Todd, D (Retention vote 2027)
Kevin Brobson, R (Retention vote 2031)
Daniel McCaffery, D (Retention vote 2033)

Source: Ballotpedia This source also has biographical and election information on individual judges.
List of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judges Has biographical information.