Apr 24, 2002 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

Washington County proposed eliminating one of its 12 magisterial districts and changing the boundaries of several others, including William Pelkey’s California-based district, in a preliminary plan under review by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. President County Judge Thomas D. Gladden led a committee of judges, attorneys, police and court and county administrators that reviewed the districts and prepared the plan in the form of a draft.

It was submitted to the higher court last week. The court will return the draft to Gladden with comments or directions. Gladden will then have until June 20 to submit a final plan, said court administrator Chris Brady, who served on the committee.

Counties are required by law to review their magisterial districts every 10 years after each census is conducted and adjust the districts to reflect changes in population and district justices’ caseloads.

The draft, which was submitted April 19, would add Long Branch to Pelkey’s district, which encompasses California, Centerville and East Bethlehem Township.

In addition, Deemston, Bealls-ville and West Pike Run Township would be transferred from Pelkey’s to Curtis Thompson’s district, which covers Bentleyville, Ells-worth, Marianna, Scenery Hill, Cokeburg, Kammerer, part of Eighty-Four and Somerset, West Bethlehem and North Bethlehem townships.

Long Branch is currently part of Larry Hopkins’ district that includes Charleroi, Fallowfield Township and neighboring communities.

“District Justice Pelkey will absorb Long Branch,” Brady said. “We will expand Curtis Thompson’s district to take in Deemston, Beallsville and West Pike Run to provide more case parity.”

Brady said the Supreme Court will decide when the realignment would take effect. She is in the process of mailing copies of the 70- to 80-page draft to each district court and local libraries for public review.

The draft includes caseload averages from 1999 to 2001, which show Pelkey adjudicated 4,422 cases, Thompson handled 2,365 and Hopkins 6,357.

Marjorie Teagarden’s district, which encompasses Canton, Hopewell, Independence and Cross Creek townships, would be eliminated when her term expires in 2004.

Brady said Teagarden plans to retire at end of her term. Her district would be divided among three neighboring districts.

Teagarden’s district has the lightest caseload with an average of slightly more than 2,000 cases per year.

Cases heard by district justices include traffic violations, summary offenses, preliminary hearings for criminal offenses, landlord/tenant complaints and civil complaints involving less than $8,000 in losses or damages.

The county’s busiest district justice is J. Albert Spence, who presides in Washington, East Washington and North Franklin Township, and adjudicated an average of 8,834 cases a year between 1999 and 2001.

Washington had 14 magisterial districts in the 1980s. Following the 1990 census, Pelkey’s original office in Centerville was eliminated. He later ran successfully for the California-based district.

June Lilly’s Chartiers Township-based district also was cut as a result of the 1990 census and she retired.