News

In recognition of Veterans Day, the Pennsylvania Courts are honoring the service and sacrifices of veterans within the judiciary through a new video released today....

November 12

Pennsylvania’s veteran population ranks fourth in the U.S. with over 697,655 veterans as of 2023. 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 08

The Pennsylvania Courts are using a new social media campaign to educate about the courts’ role in helping victims and survivors of domestic violence....

October 31

In 2023, the number of new Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders filed statewide increased by 3% from 2022. 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. ...

October 23

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will convene oral argument sessions on Tues., Oct. 8, Wed., Oct. 9 and Thurs., Oct. 10 in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the City-County Building in Pittsburgh, beginning at 9:30 a.m. each day.

Audio links to listen live to the sessions are available....

October 04

In recognition of Civics Education Awareness Month, the Pennsylvania Courts are promoting an educational digital toolkit aimed at helping students learn about the work and role of the state’s judiciary....

September 25

Blair County Adult Probation and Parole, a division within the Blair County Court of Common Pleas, was recently selected as one of five agencies across the U.S. to participate in a technical assistance (TA) program focusing on recruiting, retention and staff wellness....

August 27

The Northumberland County Courthouse will be closed for the remainder of the day on Thurs., Aug. 15, due to an ongoing police incident. ...

August 15

As the new school year approaches, the Pennsylvania Courts wants to remind drivers to slow down in school zones and stop for school buses, stay alert and ensure the safety of our students. In Pennsylvania, two school zone traffic laws have been cited more than 25,057 times over the past five years (2019-2023).  ...

August 09

Libre’s Law, the anti-cruelty law (Act 10) that strengthened the protection of animals went into effect in late August of 2017. Since then, over 52,000 animal abuse offenses have been filed statewide – 61% of which were for neglect of animal(s)....

July 12

The Pennsylvania Association of Court Management’s (PACM) has recognized Crawford County’s Centralized Truancy Court program with PACM’s Innovation Award for Crawford’s approach to addressing truancy issues within its jurisdiction....

July 09

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd today released the 2024 official Supreme Court photo....

July 01

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today issued an order declaring a judicial emergency for the Twelfth Judicial District due to the unprecedented leadership void in the Office of the Clerk of Courts due to sudden vacancies which occurred on Friday, June 28, 2024....

June 30

President Judge Travis Livengood and Bedford County Courts recently welcomed the Pennsylvania Superior Court to the historic Bedford County courthouse....

June 13

In Pennsylvania, a drug delivery resulting in death (DDRD) charge, also known as an offense, is issued to a person who intentionally administers, dispenses, delivers, gives, prescribes, sells or distributes any controlled substance, and another person died as a result of using the substance....

June 13

In an effort to fulfill the Supreme Court’s long-standing commitment to making justice accessible for all Pennsylvanians, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts created an office focused on behavioral health, aimed at improving court responses to behavioral health challenges within the judicial system....

May 15

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

May 10

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

April 24

Focused on the importance of partnerships in making permanent system change, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty today joined forces with the Pennsylvania Parole Board to offer autism education and awareness training to its board and staff....

April 17

Committed to court-reform for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Doughertymrecognized the efforts of courts statewide to create autism-friendly environments for court users and their families....

April 12

Committed to court-reform for individuals 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, highlighting those behind the important work being done statewide....

April 08

Under Pennsylvania’s child abuse laws, 32,075 people were charged in 36,386 child abuse cases between 2019 to 2023, resulting in 10,915 case convictions. Of those defendants who were charged in child abuse cases, 56% were between the ages of 19-35 and 23% were charged with endangering the welfare of children....

April 05

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law recently unveiled an official portrait of Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd during a ceremony at the law school.

The portrait will be placed for students, visitors, and alumni to view in the Barco Law Building....

March 26

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania State Court Administrator Andrew Tuominen today announced the appointment of Sean Concannon as the new deputy chief counsel for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). ...

March 15

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 13

Data collected by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shows more than 5.8 million total traffic summary violations were issued in Pennsylvania from 2018 through 2022. That is an average of 3,196 traffic tickets per day, with speeding violations leading the way....

February 16

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd provides the following update on the Pennsylvania Courts’ website denial of service cyber attack:

“Last week, the courts were the target of a significant and serious denial of service attack, orchestrated by a faceless and nameless virtual opponent who was intent on attacking our infrastructure and orchestrating a shutdown of our state judicial system....

February 12

The Pennsylvania Courts through its Office of Elder Justice in the Courts (OEJC) today announced a new, grant-funded pilot project with MidPenn Legal Services and the Dauphin County Orphans’ Court to provide free legal representation in all guardianship cases in Dauphin County for adults aged 60 and older. ...

January 25

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd today officially welcomed Justice Daniel D. McCaffery as a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania following his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony. ...

January 11

Human-trafficking offenses in Pennsylvania decreased by nearly 41 percent from 2021 to 2022, with 809 offenses charged statewide over the last five years....

January 05

By unanimous vote, the judges of the Pennsylvania Superior Court have elected Judge Anne Lazarus to be the new president judge effective January 7, 2024. 

President Judge-Elect Lazarus succeeds President Judge Jack Panella who completes his five-year term on January 6, 2024. Once installed as president judge, each of Pennsylvania’s three appellate courts will be led by women....

January 02