Pennsylvania § 3152 Tenure of judicial officers

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 3152 — Tenure of judicial officers

Pennsylvania § 3152

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 42JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE

PartPART III

Ch. 31SELECTION AND RETENTION OF JUDICIAL OFFICERS

Subch.TENURE AND COMPENSATION

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Bluebook

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3152 (2026).

Text

(a)Judges and magisterial district judges.--The regular term of office of judges and magisterial district judges shall be as follows:

(1)Judges of the Philadelphia Municipal Court and the Traffic Court of Philadelphia--Six years.

(2)Judges of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court--Four years.

(3)All other judges--Ten years.

(4)Magisterial district judges--Six years.

(b)Effect of changes.--The tenure of any judge or magisterial district judge shall not be affected by changes in judicial or magisterial districts or by reduction in the number of judges or magisterial districts. Where a multicounty judicial district is divided by statute into two or more districts or where a county is transferred by statute from one judicial district to another, a judge shall continue to be or shall beco

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(a) Judges and magisterial district judges.--The regular term of office of judges and magisterial district judges shall be as follows:

(1) Judges of the Philadelphia Municipal Court and the Traffic Court of Philadelphia--Six years.

(2) Judges of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court--Four years.

(3) All other judges--Ten years.

(4) Magisterial district judges--Six years.

(b) Effect of changes.--The tenure of any judge or magisterial district judge shall not be affected by changes in judicial or magisterial districts or by reduction in the number of judges or magisterial districts. Where a multicounty judicial district is divided by statute into two or more districts or where a county is transferred by statute from one judicial district to another, a judge shall continue to be or shall become a judge of that judicial district which embraces the county of that person's residence at the effective date of the change. Where the boundaries of a magisterial district are revised pursuant to section 1503 (relating to reestablishment of districts) a magisterial district judge shall continue to be or shall become a magisterial district judge of the magisterial district in which that person resides at the effective date of the change.

(c) Appointive judicial officers.--Except as otherwise provided or prescribed by law, appointive judicial officers shall hold office at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Mental health review officers shall be appointed for terms not to exceed one year, and may be reappointed to successive terms.

Legislative History

(Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days; Nov. 30, 2004, P.L.1618, No.207, eff. 60 days) 2004 Amendment.Act 207 amended subsecs. (a) and (b). See section 29 of Act 207 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to construction of law. 1978 Amendment.Act 53 amended subsecs. (b) and (c). References in Text.The Traffic Court of Philadelphia, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was abolished by Joint Resolution No.2 of 2016. Cross References.Section 3152 is referred to in sections 3131, 3153 of this title.