Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Intermediate appellate court of Pennsylvania

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Jurisdiction| Pennsylvania, United States except those cases which involve decisions of governmental agencies; public sector legal questions; actions to which the Commonwealth is a party other than criminal cases; or actions to which a not-for-profit, private corporation is a party, all of which are appealed instead to the Commonwealth Court.
Location| Harrisburg (headquarters)
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Composition method| Statewide partisan election with possible retention at term expiration. Vacancies are filled via appointment by the Governor.
Authorized by| Penn. Const. Art. V § 3
42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 541-44
Appeals to| Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Appeals from| Court of Common Pleas
Judge term length| 10 years
Number of positions| 15
Website| Pennsylvania Courts
President Judge
Currently| Anne Lazarus
Since| January 7, 2024[1]

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts (the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania). It is based in Harrisburg.

## Jurisdiction

[edit]

The Superior Court hears appeals in criminal and most civil cases from the Courts of Common Pleas and on matters involving children and families.[2] Most appeals are decided on the submission of briefs only. However, when the parties request oral argument, those sessions are usually heard by panels of three judges sitting in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Pittsburgh, but the court also hears some appeals "en banc," i.e., with nine judges.[2] Sometimes, special argument panels sit in other counties around the Commonwealth. Although different panels of three judges may sit to hear appeals, there is only one Superior Court (that is, Pennsylvania is not divided into appellate territories).

## Judges

[edit]

Superior Court judges are elected in statewide elections. The term of a Superior Court Judge is 10 years. After serving 10 years, judges may hold their seats if they win a retention vote. Voters have the right to retain or reject (vote out of office) Superior Court judges in Pennsylvania. Superior Court judges must retire from active service at the age of 75. They may serve as Senior Judges though, as approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Judge[3] | Born  | Joined[4] | Term ends  | Mandatory retirement[a] | Party affiliation  | Law school

|
|
|
|
|
|

Anne E. Lazarus (President Judge) |  (1952-11-12) November 12, 1952 (age 71) | January 4, 2010[b] | 2029  | 2027  | Democratic | Temple
Mary Jane Bowes |  (1954-07-18) July 18, 1954 (age 70) | January 7, 2002 | 2031  | 2029  | Republican | Pittsburgh
Jack A. Panella |  (1955-05-04) May 4, 1955 (age 69) | January 5, 2004 | 2033  | 2030  | Democratic | Columbus
Judith Ference Olson |  (1957-10-19) October 19, 1957 (age 66) | January 4, 2010 | 2029  | 2032  | Republican | Duquesne
Victor P. Stabile |  (1957-09-14) September 14, 1957 (age 67) | January 6, 2014 | 2033  | 2032  | Republican | Dickinson
Alice Beck Dubow |  (1959-03-25) March 25, 1959 (age 65) | January 4, 2016 | 2025  | 2034  | Democratic | Pennsylvania
Deborah A. Kunselman |  (1967-09-24) September 24, 1967 (age 57) | January 1, 2018 | 2027  | 2042  | Democratic | Notre Dame
Carolyn H. Nichols |  (1955-09-04) September 4, 1955 (age 69) | January 1, 2018 | 2027  | 2030  | Democratic | Temple
Mary P. Murray |  (1970-07-06) July 6, 1970 (age 54) | January 1, 2018 | 2027  | 2045  | Republican | Duquesne
Maria McLaughlin |  (1966-05-27) May 27, 1966 (age 58) | January 1, 2018 | 2027  | 2041  | Democratic | Widener
Megan McCarthy King |  (1969-12-08) December 8, 1969 (age 54) | January 6, 2020 | 2029  | 2044  | Republican | Pittsburgh
Megan Sullivan |  (1971-10-19) October 19, 1971 (age 52) | January 3, 2022 | 2031  | 2046  | Republican | Temple
Jill Beck |  (1979-10-16) October 16, 1979 (age 44) | January 1, 2024 | 2033  | 2054  | Democratic | Duquesne
Timika Lane |  (1972-10-05) October 5, 1972 (age 52) | January 1, 2024 | 2033  | 2047  | Democratic | Rutgers
Vacant |  |  |  |  |  |

1. ^ Judges must retire by the last day (December 31) of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 75.[5]
2. ^ Elected President Judge on January 7, 2024.

### Vacancy and pending nomination

[edit]

Seat  | Seat last held by  | Vacancy reason  | Date of vacancy  | Nominee  | Date of nomination

|
|
|
|
|

– | Dan McCaffery | Elevation  | January 1, 2024  | – | –

### Senior judges

[edit]

Judge[3] | Born  | Joined[4] | Party affiliation  | Law school

|
|
|
|

Correale F. Stevens[a], President Judge Emeritus |  (1946-10-06) October 6, 1946 (age 78) | 2016 | Republican | Dickinson
James Gardner Colins[b] |  (1946-06-09) June 9, 1946 (age 78) | January 2, 2019 | Democratic | Villanova
John T. Bender |  (1948-11-06) November 6, 1948 (age 75) | January 1, 2024[c] | Republican | Duquesne

1. ^ Judge Stevens was a former Associate Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (2013–2016).
2. ^ Judge Collins was a former judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (1984–2008; 2012–2019).
3. ^ Served as Judge of the Superior Court from January 5, 2002–December 31, 2023. Became Senior Judge of the Superior Court on January 1, 2024.

## See also

[edit]

* Pennsylvania portal

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Judge Anne Lazarus Elected President Judge of Pennsylvania Superior Court" (PDF). January 2, 2024.
2. ^ a b "Learn". Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
3. ^ a b "Superior Court Judges". Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania.
4. ^ a b "Pennsylvania Superior Court Ceremonial Sessions - Volume 3" (PDF). Historical Society of Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
5. ^ "Constitution of Pennsylvania - Article V §16".

## External links

[edit]

* Superior Court of Pennsylvania
* Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania
* Superior Court Judges
* Recent Superior Court of Pennsylvania Cases by Judge and Topic

* v
* t
* e

State intermediate appellate courts in the United States

* Alabama
* Civil
* Criminal
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Commonwealth
* Superior
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Civil
* Criminal
* Texas
* Utah
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin

Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming do not have intermediate appellate courts.
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template