Pa. Jud. Conduct Bd. (front matter)

• Initially Adopted March 20, 1995 (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 25, No. 15, April 15, 1995, p. 1404)

• Rules 1, 3 and 30 Amended January 6, 2005, effective January 29, 2005

• Rules 2 and 31 Amended April 22, 1996 (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 26, No. 24, June 25, 1996, p. 2782)

• Rule 35 Adopted April 20, 1998 (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 28, No. 6, February 7, 1998)

• Rules 36, 37 and 38 Adopted December 2, 2002 (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 33, No. 12, March 22, 2003)

• Rule 31 Rescinded February 5, 2007, effective immediately (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 37, April 21, 2007)

• Rule 14 Amended April 4, 2016, effective immediately (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 46, April 30, 2016)

• Rules 14 and 29 and Preface to Chapter 121 Amended June 9, 2025, effective immediately (Published in Pa. Bull., Vol. 55, September 27, 2025)

RULES OF PROCEDURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

General Provisions

Business of the Board

Interim Suspension; Special Notice to Supreme Court or Court of Judicial Discipline

Limitation on Board Action; Exceptions

Confidentiality; Privilege

Counsel; Service

Testimony; Depositions; Subpoenas

Complaints, Screening, Preliminary Board Actions

RESERVED

Special Procedures for Cases Involving Mental or Physical Disability

Special Procedures for Cases Involving Substance Abuse

General Provisions

(A) Definitions. When used in these rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

Board means the Judicial Conduct Board.

Board Complaint is the document setting forth the formal charges and filed by the Board to initiate proceedings in the Court of Judicial Discipline.

Board Counsel means any lawyer hired by the Board as staff counsel, including Chief Counsel, or any lawyer appointed as special counsel, to perform those duties as directed by the Board.

Chief Counsel is the lawyer in charge of the screening and investigation of complaints, the prosecution of formal charges, and the performance of other duties as directed by the Board.

Chair means the Chair of the Board or a member authorized to act on the Chair’s behalf.

Complaint means a document setting forth information alleging conduct within the jurisdiction of the Judicial Conduct Board pursuant to Pa. Const. Art. V, § 18.

Court means the Court of Judicial Discipline.

Dismissal is a Board determination which terminates a case against a Judicial Officer.

Judicial Officer includes magisterial district judges, judges of the Philadelphia Municipal and Traffic Courts, judges of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court, judges of the Common Pleas, Commonwealth, and Superior Courts, and Justices of the Supreme Court.

Probable Cause to File Formal Charges means probable cause to believe that conduct by a Judicial Officer has occurred for which a Judicial Officer should be suspended, removed from office, or otherwise disciplined pursuant to Pa. Const. Art. V, § 18(d)(1).

Rules of Professional Conduct means rules of professional responsibility for attorneys.

Staff includes employees of the Board and persons retained or appointed by the Board, or individual Board members’ employees when engaged in the business of the Board.

Verification is a written statement of fact by the signer, supported by oath or affirmation or made subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.

So in original; there is no subd. (B).

Order of Jan. 6, 2005

By Order of Jan. 6, 2005, eff. Jan. 29, 2005, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered “that all references in any court rule, court order, court form (including citation), automated statewide court case management system (i.e. PACMS, CPCMS and DJS) or any other legal authority, except as provided for in Act 207 [2004, Nov. 30, P.L. 1618], to ‘district justice’ shall be deemed a reference to ‘magisterial district judge.'”