Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania

Court of Common Pleas

The Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas is a trial court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.

Judges

Rita Donovan Hathaway - President Judge Michele G. Bononi Christopher A. Feliciani Tim Krieger Anthony G. Marsili

Scott Mears Christian F. Scherer Harry Smail Jr. Meagan Bilik Defazio

Senior Judges

• Daniel J. Ackerman
• Alfred B. Bell
• John E. Blahovec
• Joseph Hudock
• William J. Ober

Former judges

• Gary P. Caruso
• John J. Driscoll
• Charles H. Loughran

• Richard E. McCormick, Jr.
• Debra A. Pezze
• David Regoli

See also

• Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania judicial elections
• Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas

External links

• Pennsylvania Courts, "Common Pleas judges"

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

The 439 judges of the court of common pleas are elected to 10-year terms in partisan elections. Candidates may cross-file with both political parties for the partisan primaries, which are followed by general elections where the primary winners from each party compete. Judges must run in yes-no retention elections if they wish to continue serving after their first term. A separate part of the ballot is designated for these elections, and judges' names appear without respect to party affiliation.

• The president judge of each Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas is chosen by either peer vote or seniority, depending on the size of the court. Statewide, all courts composed of more than seven individuals must select their chief judge by peer vote. Those with seven or fewer members select their chief by seniority.

Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must:

• have state residence for at least one year;
• be a district resident for at least one year (for common pleas judges);
• be a member of the state bar; and
• be under the age of 75.

While retirement at 75 is mandatory, judges may apply for senior judge status. Senior judges may serve as such until the last day of the calendar year in which they turn 78.

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.