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Discussion 2: Selection of Trial and Appellate Judges for State Courts in Pennsylvania
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Judicial Appointments
The selection of judges at the state level comprises a combination of several criteria
which vary across several states. States usually apply more than one system in the appointment
of judges across different court levels. In some instances, other measures might be used to select
judges for the same court level. The selection criteria are dependent on a state's political systems,
public opinion or the population of a particular area. Besides, every state reserves the right to
modify any selection procedures depending on the prevailing political environment. This report
examines the selection process of trial and appellate judges in Pennsylvania.
The selection of state court judges for state courts in Pennsylvania occurs through
partisan elections. Through this process, the public is allowed the chance to elect judges through
the ballot. In this process, candidates for a judicial position are listed alongside a label related to
a specific political party. For Pennsylvania Magisterial Courts, judges are elected through a
partisan election. The judges serve six-year terms and are not required to undergo reselection
unless the initial race was tightly contested. The initial selection stage for the Pennsylvania Court
of Common Pleas involves a partisan election involving top candidates from each political party
primaries. The judges serve 10-year terms and are required to seek re-election once their initial
term expires. Separate ballots that do not bear party affiliations during the yes-no retention
election are used (Pennsylvania General Assembly, nd).
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Courts are served by nine judges selected through partisan
elections. The initial process is a partisan election where the leading candidates from each party's
primaries compete. The judges serve a 10-year term, and t...