The 4th annual Spring into Action Benefit to support the work of PMC will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at 5:00 PM. PMC will present the Judge Justin Johnson Award to Governor Tom Wolf and Former Governors Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker, and Tom Ridge for their unified bipartisan support of a qualified and independent judiciary. 

Though our ultimate goal is to create a merit selection system, PMC is committed to addressing one of biggest problems with judicial elections - the lack of information available to voters and low voter turnout. PMC has compiled information on PA's appellate court races, and we will hold a series of forums with the candidates for our appellate courts. 

In the 2019 - 2020 legislative session, the PA General Assembly passed a constitutional amendment that would empower our state legislature to create judicial districts for Pennsylvania's higher courts. If the amendment passes again in the new legislative session, it could go to a public vote as soon as the 2021 primary election. This amendment would undermine constitutional checks and balances among our branches of state government, destroy judicial independence in PA, and politicize the courts. 

As confidence in so many of our government institutions and agencies is crumbling, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts continues to believe that the judiciary can serve as the bulwark against despair in our democratic experiment. We remain ever committed to a Pennsylvania judicial system in which everyone who participates is assured impartiality, fairness, accessibility and respect. We recognize that there is important work to be done to make this version of the judicial system a reality and pledge to continue to work for an equitable justice system where everyone, regardless of race, color, sex, gender, religion, or disability, can expect full protection under the law. To achieve our vision, we will continue to work tirelessly to educate all Pennsylvanians about how to navigate our courts with confidence, and we vigorously advocate for judicial reforms that promote the rule of law, access to justice, and an inclusive and highly qualified judiciary.

In this op-ed, PMC's Board Chair, Robert Heim, and former PA Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ronald Castille, discuss the negative effects of judicial elections - especially the regional election system proposed in HB 38 - and the need for an appointive merit selection system. 

Amid the spread of COVID-19, PMC is postponing a number of upcoming programs and events, in order to protect the health and safety of everyone we serve. We have also provided a link to information about changes to court procedures in each county.