Pennsylvania Superior Court
From Judgepedia
The Superior Court consists of 15 judges who serve 10-year terms, along with senior judges who are appointed to serve on the court from time-to-time by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The president judge of the court is elected to a five-year term by his or her colleagues.[1]
Judges
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Senior judges:
History
The Superior Court was established in 1895 by Pennsylvania's state legislature to hear appeals from the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas.[1]
When the court was formed in 1895, it included seven judges who sat together to hear each case that came in front of the court. In 1978, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ordered the court to begin hearing cases in panels of three judges.
In 1979, the Pennsylvania Constitution was amended to increase the number of judges on the court from 7 to its current level of 15. The eight additional positions were filled by 1986.
Judges are both elected and appointed to the court. Seniority is attained according to the length of continuous service on the Court, but elected judges receive seniority over appointed judges.[1]
Statistics
Appeals, 2007
The court provided these statistics in 2008 to indicate the number of appeals that were filed with the court, versus those that were pending and resolved in 2007.[2]
| Appeals | Total | Civil | Criminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appeals pending, January 1, 2007 | 6,464 | 2,073 | 4,391 |
| New appeals in 2007 | 7,979 | 3,402 | 4,577 |
| Appeals concluded in 2007 | 8,156 | 3,394 | 4,762 |
| Appeals pending, January 1, 2008 | 6,287 | 2,081 | 4,206 |
External links
- Official website of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
- Description of Pennsylvania Superior Court, on Pennsylvania's statewide courts website.
References
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