Fayette has more magistrates than counties with similar populations
With 13 district justices, Fayette County has more magistrates than other counties with similar populations, according to online statistics provided by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). Schuylkill County in the eastern part of the state has 1,800 people more than Fayette County and five less district justices. Cambria and Monroe Counties each have 10 district justices and both have populations within 2,000 of Fayette’s.
And neighboring Washington County, which listed a population of 203,737 in the 2000 census, had 12 magistrates and was recently ordered by the Supreme Court to eliminate one more. The county will go to 11 magistrates effective January 2004 when District Justice Marjorie L. Teagarden finishes out her six-year term.
Fayette lists a population of 147,367, just over 56,000 less people than Washington County.
As of last week, the state Supreme Court ordered Fayette County President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi to eliminate three of the $60,031-a-year magistrates.
AOPC spokesman Art Heinz said that he could not specifically say why the Supreme Court made that request, but said a myriad of factors, including population, caseload and geographical boundaries were taken into consideration.
Capuzzi now has until Monday to decide which three district justice offices he will eliminate. The Supreme Court could either accept the plan, order Capuzzi to revise it or come up with a plan of its own.
The elimination notice came several months after former President Judge William J. Franks sent the Supreme Court a proposal asking that the county retain all of its magistrates.
Among the things Franks noted in his proposal were reasons to keep Wendy Dennis, the mountain-area district justice. She sees the smallest caseload of any of the county’s magistrates, with an average of 653 cases per year over from 1994-2001, according to the AOPC data.
Dennis’ office borders West Virginia and Maryland and she serves many of the smaller communities. Franks also noted that Dennis was the only magistrate who could fulfill the Supreme Court’s guideline that no one should have to travel more than 30 minutes to get to a magistrate’s office.
But even that guideline, said Heinz, does not ensure that a position will not be eliminated.
“Those are not guidelines carved in stone. The court only uses those as something that will help a county come up with a reasonable and logical plan,” said Heinz.
On the other end of the spectrum, District Justice Deberah L. Kula had the highest eight-year average caseload with 2,538 cases.
The averages are comprised not only of criminal matters, but minor civil matters, landlord/tenant disputes and other smaller matters handled by district justices.
The following is as breakdown of the average caseload for the remaining district justices from 1994-2001 as provided by the AOPC:
? District Justice Mark Blair: 2,425 cases.
? District Justice Rick Vernon: 2,386 cases.
? District Justice Ronald Haggerty: 2,348 cases.
? District Justice Herbert Mitchell: 1,941 cases.
? District Justice Michael Defino Jr.: 1,837 cases.
? District Justice Jesse Cramer: 1,719 cases.
? District Justice Michael Rubish: 1,585 cases.
? District Justice Randy Abraham: 1,443 cases.
? District Justice Brenda Cavalcante: 1,297 cases.
? District Justice Robert Breakiron: 1,220 cases.
? District Justice Dwight Shaner: 1,180 cases.