McKean County, Pennsylvania (Judicial)

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Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This county is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.

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The people of McKean County are served by a Court of Common Pleas, and a Magisterial Court that handles small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, traffic cases and minor criminal matters. The people of Pennsylvania are also served by a Superior Court and a Commonwealth Court.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania has jurisdiction in McKean County. Appeals from the Western District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

Courts

McKean County, Pennsylvania

McKean County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania

• John H. Pavlock - President Judge
• Chris Hauser

Senior judges

• John M. Cleland
• John H. Yoder

McKean County Magisterial District, Pennsylvania

• Dominic A. Cercone, Jr.
• Dave Engman
• Richard W. Luther, Jr.
• William K. Todd

Elections

See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections

Pennsylvania is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Pennsylvania, click here.

• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2015
• Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2013
• Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2011

Selection method

See also: Partisan election of judges

Judges of the Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts are selected in partisan elections. They serve six-year terms. After their initial term, magistrates must run for new terms in contested races.

Qualifications
A judge must be:

• a local resident for at least one year;
• a state bar member;*
• no younger than 21; and
• no older than 75.

*Magisterial district judges may alternatively pass a training course to sidestep the bar member requirement.

Election rules

Primary election

Though the state holds partisan elections, most candidates cross-file with the major political parties. If a candidate wins both the Republican and Democratic primary, he or she runs unopposed in the general election.

Retention election

All judges except those of the magisterial districts face retention elections following their initial term. After a judge has won an initial partisan election, subsequent terms are attained through retention elections. In retention elections, judges do not compete against another candidate, but voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice whether to keep the justice in office for another term. If the candidate receives more yes votes than no votes, he or she is successfully retained. If not, the candidate is not retained, and there will be a vacancy in that court upon the expiration of that term. This applies to all judges except magisterial district judges, who are always elected in partisan elections.

See also

• McKean County, Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
• Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2011

External links

• Pennsylvania Courts, List of Magisterial District judges