The Pennsylvania Superior Court
The Pennsylvania Superior Court is a middle-level appellate court that hears appeals from lower courts in criminal, civil, and family cases across the state. It reviews decisions made by the Courts of Common Pleas to make sure no legal errors were made. Although its rulings can be appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, most of the time the Superior Court’s decision is final.
The Superior Court has limited jurisdiction, which means very few cases start there. Most of its work involves hearing appeals from lower courts. It also has limited original jurisdiction for certain special matters, such as applications made under the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act or specific legal orders (like writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, or prohibition) when connected to its appellate role.
Most cases in the Superior Court are heard by panels of three judges in cities like Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Pittsburgh, though sometimes all the judges hear a case together in what’s called an en banc session.
There are fifteen judges on the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and each serves a 10-year term. After each term, they can stand for retention in an election question posed to voters: should this judge serve for another 10 years? In the 2025 election, one Superior Court judge is up for retention. There is also one open seat on the court, with three candidates competing for that position.
Superior Court Judges can continue serving until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Bar Association Ratings FAQ
Before a judicial election, bar associations (like the Pennsylvania Bar Association or local ones) review a candidate's performance and temperament through a careful investigation. They then issue a recommendation for each candidate.
They evaluate criteria such as:
- Integrity
- Good moral character
- Legal ability
- Bench trial, jury trial or evidentiary hearing experience
- Judicial temperament (patience, courtesy, compassion, impartiality, humility, even temper, sense of fairness)
Candidates receive one of the following ratings:
- Highly Recommended: “The candidate possesses the highest combination of legal ability, experience, integrity and temperament and would be capable of outstanding performance as a judge or justice of the court for which he/she is a candidate.”
- Recommended: “Based on legal ability, experience, integrity and temperament, the candidate would be able to perform satisfactorily as a judge or justice of the court for which he/she is a candidate.”
- Not Recommended: “Based on legal ability, experience, integrity or temperament, or any combination thereof, at the present time, the candidate is inadequate to perform satisfactorily as a judge or justice of the court for which he/she is a candidate.”
For judges already serving and seeking to stay in office for another term, the ratings are typically “Recommended for Retention” or “Not Recommended for Retention.”
Pennsylvania Bar Association Judicial Questionnaires are forms that people running for judge or for retention fill out. They are part of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s process for evaluating judicial candidates.
The questionnaires include information about:
- The candidate’s education and legal background
- Work experience and the types of cases they’ve handled
- Accomplishments and community service
- References from people who know their work
- A short section where the candidate explains why they want to be a judge
After reviewing the questionnaires, the Bar Association shares them with the public so voters can learn more about each candidate before the election.