October 5, 2021 The Pa. Supreme Court in Harrisburg. Four judges three Republicans and a Democrat are trying to snag an open seat on Pennsylvania's highest court. The following cases were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2022-2023 term. border-radius: 50%; Lowrie J. background-color: #003388; margin: 8px auto; ", SEPTA unveils accessibility upgrades at Susquehanna-Dauphin station, Recent shootings spur Philly housing activists to protest for-profit evictions, Dismantling of Wilmingtons NorthPak gang continues with two more members convicted of murder. She recently got considerable attention for being one of the only lower court judges in Pennsylvania to rule in favor of Trumps campaign when it sued to have election certification delayed. Before justices and judges can be appointed or elected to their positions, they must meet certain basic requirements, including citizenship and residency. [31], The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned a 2018 sexual assault conviction for comedian and actor Bill Cosby. The 15 judges of the Pennsylvania Superior Court are selected in partisan elections. Tom Wolfs administration and the Republican-controlled legislature, including the states handling of the pandemic, how it runs elections, and more. background-color: grey; padding-left: 10px; After the election, state judges some Democrats, some Republicans handed down near-universal dismissals of the flood of lawsuits by the Trump campaign and other Republicans that made baseless allegations of widespread election fraud and sought to get the results reconsidered or overturned. width: 50%; [7][8] To learn more about these elections, visit the Pennsylvania judicial elections page. A score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology while scores below 0 were more liberal. display: inline; All of these will be on the primary ballot on May 18, then face off in the Nov. 2 general election: McLaughlin got her partys endorsement and, running as the sole Democrat in the primary, will advance to the general. .bptable.gray th { background:#4c4c4c;color:#fff; }, The seven justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are selected in partisan elections.[7]. z-index:1; That same year, a Superior Court panel opened the door to extending the statute of limitations in some years-old cases of alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests. Supreme Court. The Pennsylvania Bar Association has given both Brobson and McLaughlin highly recommended ratings, its best assessment. In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan outlook of state supreme court justices in their paper, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns." The Investigator (Weekly): Best accountability display: block; In recent years, it threw out Pennsylvanias gerrymandered congressional map, upheld Gov. } As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Crompton, a former top GOP aide in the statehouse, is running to keep the seat. A seat is open because Chief Justice Thomas Saylor, a Republican, has hit the courts age limit of 75 and has to retire. width: 90%; display: block; He had about $224,000 on hand at the end of the last campaign filing period. But along with two other judges, she did preside over a recent, high-profile case that echoes a national conversation about sexual assault: whether to uphold a lower courts decision to throw out a jury conviction in a sexual assault case. The accused, she said, testified that he recorded the encounter with the victim in case there was any question of the voluntariness of the intercourse that damning testimony was enough for the jury to find that [the accused] knew the victim could not properly consent. } Just last month, a Superior Court ruling that could expand financial liability for businesses in civil disputes has raised alarm in the corporate community, with business groups asking for a chance to reargue the case before a larger panel of judges. accountability journalism every Thursday, plus a weekly position: relative; font-weight: 300; 692 and Steamfitters Local 420. Tom Wolfs wife dropped off his mail ballot, violating state election law, GOP wins 2021 election for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, plus other results, by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA, See the top donors in this years hotly contested 2021 Pa. Supreme Court election, by Angela Couloumbis and Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA. GOP wants personal voter data to root out fraud. What the court has done is truly breathtaking, U.S. GOP Sen. Pat Toomey said during a rare visit to Harrisburg after the decision that year. Gov. Its the busiest appellate court in the country. The defendant argued that allowing SORNAs enhanced registration periods to apply retroactively violated the ex post facto clauses of the state and federal constitutions. Source. Patrick, too, had a brush with a big political issue when officials in Philadelphia clashed with South Philadelphia residents last summer over the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue. Questions remain about Pa. GOPs election investigation. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Corbett and his friends in the energy industry: Our fundamental constitutional principles cannot be auctioned off to wealthy special interests in exchange for campaign dollars. } Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states that has two separate intermediate-level appeals courts, with the Commonwealth Court operating alongside the Superior. It is composed of seven canons: The full text of the Pennsylvania Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here. Drew Crompton, Republican: Crompton currently serves on Commonwealth Court as an appointee. The study was based on data from campaign contributions by judges themselves, the partisan leaning of contributors to the judges, orin the absence of electionsthe ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). In Pennsylvania, the partisan election means judges must run under the umbrella of a political party, raise money through campaign committees, and collect endorsements from political groups. Since the Supreme Court was established in 1789, 116 people have served on the Court. Crompton, a former top GOP aide in the statehouse, is running to keep the seat. .race_footer { .race_header.libertarian { margin-bottom: -2px !important; They also cant promise to rule a certain way on any specific issues. } @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { Planned Parenthood Votes said it will continue to focus its ad campaigns on the state Supreme Court race leading up to the Nov. 7 general election. / AP Pennsylvania Republican Party officials voted Saturday to endorse a Montgomery County judge, Carolyn Carluccio, to be the party's nominee in this year's election for an open state Supreme. Kevin Brobson And in the last year, the court notably handed the Trump campaign and other 2020 election challengers some of their only legal wins, though the Pennsylvania Supreme Court eventually overturned those decisions. The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. padding:7px 8px 8px; .results_table { The justice with the longest continuous service on the court automatically becomes Chief Justice. Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728. 2023 Spotlight PA. The opinion said that undated and wrong dated absentee and mail-in ballots should be rejected in future elections, and it confirmed that individual county boards of elections retain authority to evaluate the ballots that they receive in future elections.[29], On October 17, 2022, the Republican National Committee and the Pennsylvania Republican Party filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent counties from counting undated and wrong dated absentee and mail-in ballots. Each show consists of the biggest stories of the day, thoughtful commentaries, and insightful features brought alive through sound. The Pennsylvania Senate later relied on that decision when it refused to seat the declared winner in that race, Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny County). Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the justice assigned to consider emergency applications from the Third Circuit (which contains Pennsylvania), directed the defendants to respond to the plaintiffs' filing by 9 a.m. on December 8, 2020. Officials are elated. } Since then, the GOP has chafed at decisions made by the Democratic majority, which have included an order to redraw the commonwealths congressional districts after a ruling that they were unfairly gerrymandered to favor Republicans. It handles over 8,000 cases a year, Gross said. Currently made up of five Democrats and two Republicans, the Pa. Supreme Court calls itself the oldest appellate court in the country. A separate part of the ballot is designated for these elections, and justices' names appear without respect to party affiliation. He apparently sent video to a conservative blog showing people storming the doors of the Capitol during the insurrection, but has denied his group was part of the violence. } } Pennsylvania Supreme Court Mundy was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to the seat vacated by Justice J. Michael Eakin on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and confirmed on June 27, 2016. Since then, the GOP has chafed at decisions made by the Democratic majority, which have included an order to redraw the commonwealths congressional districts after a ruling that they were unfairly gerrymandered to favor Republicans, which Democrats heralded as sensible and fair. The state Health Department has ditched its plan for two PEMA vaccine sites to serve people in a combined 2,000-plus square miles. [41], In Commonwealth v. Muniz, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvanias Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) could not apply retroactively to a defendant who was found guilty of a sex crime before the legislation took effect. Woodward WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Dave White, a GOP candidate for governor with strong Steamfitters ties who owns a large Delaware County HVAC company, also gave $10,000. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. incredible people, places, and food of Pa. every Friday. And it is a court of last resort in many cases, because the Supreme Court has discretion to take a case or not, but the Superior Court doesnt have that choice.. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Months into a new presidency, election tensions are still raw in this Bucks County school district. } margin-top: 1em; The court chooses which appeals it wants to hear, and thus makes decisions in only a few hundred cases per year often ones with significant statewide implications. [14] Awards and honors [2] } Jurisdiction The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has original but not exclusive jurisdiction in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus, and quo warranto. .race_header { The following text from Article V, Section 2 of the Pennsylvania Constitution addresses the jurisdiction of the court: (a) shall be the highest court of the Commonwealth and in this court shall be reposed the supreme judicial power of the Commonwealth; (b) shall consist of seven justices, one of whom shall be the Chief Justice; and, (c) shall have such jurisdiction as shall be provided by law. We must not allow todays ruling to send a negative message to job creators and families who depend on the energy industry. In many other states, judges are elected in nonpartisan contests, or are selected based on merit by a commission or governor and legislature. display: block; ^ Judge Collins was a former judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (1984-2008; 2012-2019). Heres a guide to the roles and recent histories of the courts, and the candidates who are hoping for a chance to shape them. Judges serve initial 10-year terms, then face a retention vote, which usually succeeds. The following is a list of candidates for the Supreme Court 2011 election: The table below details the number of cases filed and adjudicated from the appeals, capital, and miscellaneous dockets. All Things Considered is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country. The Investigator (Weekly): Best letter-spacing: .04em; The Pa. Supreme Court in Harrisburg. In-person voting will be up and running from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. .race_header.green { Gabe Roth, director of Fix the Court, discusses his group's new research on the justices and suggests renouncing party affiliation would separate them from politicians. Odd-year elections are not like major presidential, legislative election years, said Deborah Gross, who heads the nonprofit Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts. There was also mass GOP pushback against the high courts decision ahead of the 2020 election allowing emergency changes to voting laws. The Pennsylvania Bar Association rated McLaughlin highly recommended, its top designation. } 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. Following is a complete list of justices:[2]. Have you reported misconduct at Penn State? already passed the GOP-controlled House once. SORNA increased the lengths of the registration periods. The Pa. Senate later relied on that decision when it refused to seat the declared winner in that race, Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny County). Supreme Court. But while these judges wield considerable power, their elections tend to get little attention from voters. [1] Mundy was confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate on June 27, 2016. vertical-align: top; Brobson, who has called himself a strict constructionist who believes in the separation of powers judicial restraint [and] reading laws as theyre written, decided several high-profile cases involving the counting of ballots in the 2020 election. On this day, David has defeated Goliath. Democratic Justice Max Baer is assuming the role of chief justice. All Things Considered is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country. We have no billionaire owner or shareholders to consider. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. .results_row { Judicial candidates arent allowed to solicit donations directly. If there isnt enough time to mail the ballot, voters can drop it off in person at their county elections office, or submit it at a drop box or satellite office if their county has one. text-align: center; .inner_percentage.Libertarian { We dont believe vital investigative and public-service journalism should be hidden behind a paywall or only for those who can afford a subscription fee. Former President Donald Trumps campaign lost all of its cases that made their way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Debra Todd more than 70% turnout in 2020s record-setting election, WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, had over a million dollars on hand at the end of the campaign finance filing period, at the end of the last campaign filing period, closely tied with Pennsylvanias richest person, Jeff Yass, a political committee for State Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, redraw the commonwealths congressional districts, allowing emergency changes to voting laws, ruled that a conviction should be thrown out, already passed the GOP-controlled House and Senate once, now being considered for a legislatively-required second time, tossed out a drug- and gun-related conviction of Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, is primarily funded with more of Scarnatis leftover campaign funds, and by other PACs affiliated with him, apparently sent video to a conservative blog showing people storming the doors of the Capitol, notably handed the Trump campaign and other 2020 election challengers some of their only legal wins, ordered state officials to stop the vote certification process, when it refused to seat the declared winner in that race. Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas The use of positive and negative numbers in presenting both Confidence Scores and Court Balance Scores should not be understood to that either a Republican or Democratic score is, Title 42, Chapter 7, Subchapter B of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Pennsylvania Constitution Article V, Section 2, How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts, Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2023. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Why else would he create a record to protect himself?. [13] On November 8, 2017, Justice Mundy defeated Dwayne Woodruff to gain a ten-year term on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. } top news from across PA, plus some fun, too. Get Directions. [5] Judges serve 10-year terms, after which they must run in yes-no retention elections if they wish to remain on the court. position: absolute; border-bottom: 1px solid grey; Physical Address: Pennsylvania Judicial Center. Sullivan has not yet received a rating. Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. ( / lito / -LEE-toh; born April 1, 1950) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. position: relative; So did Guy Berkebile, the chairman of the Somerset County Republican Committee, a prominent Trump supporter who was part of a large group from Somerset that traveled to Washington D.C. on Jan. 6. When the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court violates the law, violates the constitution as they have done in this case, then there is a terrible miscarriage of justice..
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