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----------- - If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. 1982 ANNUAL REPORT ADMINISTRATiVE OFFICE of PENNSYLVANIA COURTS ~'" . ". ..... ..... '" ,':" ~.;;.. ' ..... -," . 92271 Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Harrisburg Office Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts 407 City Towers, 301 Chestnut Street Abraham J. Gafni, Harrisburg. Pennsylvania 1710 1 Co urI A dminislralor 717-787-8810 Room 1414 Three Penn Center Plaza Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102 215-496-4500 TABLE OF CONTENTS 0' b t i ., i I JI I ~ Page 79 Phila?~iphia M~nic~4irUlI ml!.lFlt)'N~ Philadelphia Municipal 1 3 Table of Contents AdIIllIllStrator t ' - Court Trials 1978-1982 I 5 Foreword, Chief Justice Samuel 80 Judicial Districthy..CouJiyand.. 57 13 District Justice Case ,I J. Roberts in Numerical Order Filings and Dispositions by Case Type, 1982 ,j 6 Report from Abraham J. Gafni, 81 Courts of Common Pleas Judges (Alphabetical) 58 14 District Justice Courts Court Administrator :IIi Disposition by Category 7 Map of Unified Judicial System 83 Senior Common Pleas Judges il (Alphabetical) and Nature of Action, 1982 !I 8 Overview of the Pennsylvania ,I 84 District Justices (Alphabetical) 59 15 Philadelphia Traffic Court Judicial System Case Volume, 1982 87 Senior District Justices 10 Acti'Vities of the Administrative 59 16 Pittsburgh Magistrates !\ Office of Pennsylvania Courts (Alphabetical) Court Case Volume, 1982 I! 88 District Court Administrators and I 13 Advisory Boards and Committees 17 Summary of Statewide i[ Distict Justice Court 59 , j 18 The Appellate Courts Administrators (Alphabetical) Special Courts Filings, 20 Map of Pennsylvania's Judicial 1982 ,I 89 Glossary Districts 60 18 District Justice Traffic i i 21 Trial Court Developments in 1982 Citations by County I 61 19 District Justice Non-Traffic ,I 24 Common Pleas Case Volume By f County Page Table Citations by County I 55 Philadelphia Municipal Court 16 1 Disciplinary Cases Against 62 20 District Justice Summary I Lawyers Complaints by County 56 The People's Court: District I I Justices 16 2 Sources of Complaints 63 21 District Justice i! Against Judges and Misdemeanor and Felony , I 67 Court Finances District Justices Complaints by County 70 Supreme Court Justices 17 3 Types of Judicial 65 22 District Justice Civil :I 70 Superior Court Judges Misconduct Complaints by County , 70 Superior Court Senior Judges 17 4 Inventory of Disciplinary 68 23 Where the Money Goes: ,i! , 70 Commonwealth Court Judges Cases Against Judges in General Funds Fiscal 1982 70 Appellate Court Prothonotaries Resources 18 5 Supreme Court Caseload 70 Judges of the Courts of Common 69 24 Judiciary Funding-Where II 1978-1982 the Money Comes From 11 Pleas (by County) jI 19 6 Superior Court Caseload 73 Senior Common Pleas Judges (by 69 25 Fines and Costs Collected 1982 County) by District Justices-1981 19 7 Commonwealth Court 1\ 74 Philadelphia Municipal Court Caseload 1978-1982 Judges !\ 23 8 Criminal Dispositions by ., 74 Philadelphia Traffic Court Page Figure Type 1978-1982 Judges 57 1 District Justice Cases Filed 23 9 Civil Dispositions by 74 Pittsburgh Magistrates Court Type 1978-1982 57 2 District Justice Cases 75 District Justices (by County) Disposed 24 10 Common Pleas Case \\ !I11 79 District Court Administrators and Volume by County 68 3 Distribution of State FY Ii District Justice Court 82-83 Funds to the Three I! Philadelphia Municipal II )) Administrators (by County) 55 11 Branches of Government Court Caseload 1978-1982 11If (I 11 I' II '. I:) II, '" il 11 --~--;:::.- II )1 r 0 II 3 ~ • ....... o.:.r-"'"""'- ,ri ;1I --------~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOTlEWORD It is lilY pleasure as Chief Justice thoroughly, to reduce the time In the daily administration of our of Penn!lylvania to present the needed for judicial disposition in unified judicivl system, we have had Annmil .Report of the Administrative those cases which do ultimately the ongoing assistance of our Rules Office of Pennsylvania Courts. TIlis require action by the courts. At our Committees, all of which have been Report, ptepared 'IQder the request, a bill has recently been requested to examine existing rules of superv:i~kln of our able Court introduced in the Legislature which court with a view toward reducing Admini!il:nttor of Pennsylvania, would increase the statewide their complexity and increasing their Judge Abraham J. Gafni, provides a jurisdictional maximum for efficiency. Among the many statistimd p'rofile of the productivity arbitration from $20,000 to $40,000. contributions of our Committees has of our ctourts throughout the This increase would p.:rmit an even been the drafting of a civil procedural CommQrlwealth during 1982. greater ust. of non-judicial personnel rule, adopted this year, which where it is warranted, with each substantially reduces the amount of In 19m2, over 300,000 cases were judicial district able to set the judicial time required to verify the filed in Pennsylvania. The Annual arbitration limit within the maximum financial status of a party requesting Report demonstrates that our unified best suited to its needs. to proceed in forma pauperis. judicial !iystem has responded to this Samuel J. Roberts avalanche of litigation with In order to maximize the efficient Members of the Bar have Chief Justice of Pennsylvania dedication and efficiency. In 1982, use of available judicial time, many contributed to the work of our Rules our Supreme Court had the third courts of common pleas are Committees, as well as to many other heaviest workload of any state implementing an individual calendar activities essential to the ongoing supreme court in the nation. Our system, with random assignment of success of our unified judicial system. Superior and Commonwealth cases to each calendar. The benefits Through individual contributions Courts, courts of common pleas, of a system in which judges control and hours of volunteer service, Municipal Court of Philadelphia, their own cases from start to finish members of the Bar have made our and distr:ict.justices also faced a are obvious, as is the crucial Commonwealth's Disciplinary staggering workload, but, as the importance of the random Program a model for programs Annual Repo.rt demonstrates, they assignment of cases to individual across the country. The Client too responded with prompt, diligent judges. Security Fund was created in 1982 to adjudications. provide redress to clients who suffer As part of our continuing financial loss through lawyer Of course, the efficiency of our commitment to the goal of excellence malfeasance. Like the Disciplinary judicial system should never be in every segment of our unified Program, the Fund is completely evaluated on the basis of numbers judicial system, our Supreme Court financed through individual alone, and II,r,rould hope that our has requested Court Administrator contributions by members of the Bar. courts, lawyers, and fellow citizens Gafni and his staff to establish a would never make the mistake of statewide continuing judicial As significant as were the equating sheer speed and education program. It will be a achievements of our Bench and Bar productivity wIth quality and justice. Pennsylvania program distinctly in 1982, every segment of our judicial relevant to Pennsylvania system is resolved to work even I In a continuing effort to reach the jurisprudence, providing instruction harder in 1983, not simply to make best, .\U1d fairest judgments possible, in both practice and procedure at the best of what we have but to make I courts throughout the times and places convenient to all what we have the best. With the ! Commonwealth are taking steps to members of our Commonwealth's support and cooperation of our maximize the use of existing judicial system without undue coequal branches of government, ... 1j administrative and professional intrusion on the daily functioning of members of the Bar, and concerned resources. Our courts of common our courts. As with many aspects of citizens throughout the 4\ I pleas have increased the availability the administration of OUr unified Commonwealth, we shall continue to I of judicial tirg,e by using masters, judicial system, we look to the strive daily to achieve our supreme ~ I hearing oltfcer&and arbitrators where members of the Bar and to the fine goal of a unified judicial system of II appropriate. These non-jUdicial law schools of this Commonwealth unifornl excellence. 11 officers are able to bring many cases for assistance in assuring an to settlement w'ithout the expenditure educational program of the highest I! of judicial time and effort and, by caliber. II developing and framing the issues JI Samuel J. Roberts Chief Justice of Pennsylvania 5 4 I i: REPORT FROM THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR .) To: The Chief Justice of Finally, I wish to note the special Pennsylvania and the Justices efforts which have been made to of the Supreme Court of further the education and training of Pennsylvania judicial system personnel. The ,) Administrative Office, in cooperation with various professional associations I am pleased to transmit to you, and the Minor judiciary Education pursuant to RJ.A. 505 (14), the Board, haS provided numerous eleventh Annual Report of the educational conferences, seminars Administrative Office of and workshops for judges, district Pennsylvania Courts. This Report justices, court administrators, describes judicial system,activities probation officers, domestic relations and presents statistics related to officers, secretaries and others. calendar year 1982. While these achievements have In addition to the achievements been significant, much, of course, noted by Chief Justice Samuel J. remains to be done. I look forward to Roberts in the Foreword, some of the working with you in further special services performed by the improving the administrative Administrative Office of components of our unified judicial Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) during system so that the citizens of 1982 should be highlighted. Under Pennsylvania will continue to be well the leadership of former Court served during the coming years.