Neuman sworn-in as state Superior Court judge
Won election to statewide appellate court in November
Surrounded by his family, several fellow Washington County judges and other dignitaries, Brandon Neuman told those attending his installation ceremony to become a state Superior Court judge that the most important aspect of the courts is people.
“It is truly about the individual (involved) in that case,” Neuman said. “Every case has a person behind it.”
Neuman was sworn-in Wednesday night at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh and will now take his seat for a 10-year term on the Superior Court, where he and 14 other judges will listen to appellate cases from across the state. Neuman, a North Strabane Township resident who has served on the Court of Common Pleas since 2018 and was a state legislator before that, is the first judge from Washington County to be elected to an appellate court.
He said some thought it was a wild idea running for the statewide seat, but he cruised through an uncontested Democratic primary and then easily defeated Republican challenger Maria Battista and another independent candidate in the November general election.
Neuman joked about a possible early campaign slogan, at first asking his election staff if “Let’s Go Brandon!” could be a good line, citing the derogatory phrase some Republicans used for former president Joe Biden that was derived from a misunderstood chant by fans when NASCAR driver Brandon Brown won an Xfinity Series race at Talladega in 2021.
“Merchandise was 75% off,” Neuman said, bringing a laugh to the room before turning serious. “Then you get back to basics. What do people expect of a judge?”
He said he spent the last few years looking through the “lens” of a judge trying to be impartial and fair to those who came before him in the Washington County Courthouse. Before that, the Democrat said he learned to go beyond party politics while a legislator in the state House for several years, especially during contentious debates with political opponents in the Republican Party.
“People will always come first, and the outcome should always be justice for the people,” Neuman said.
Former state representative Pam Snyder, who was a Democratic colleague of Neuman’s in the House, called the judge a “dear friend” and said he was the same behind closed doors as he is out in public.
“Brandon is the same person in chambers as he was in the committee room,” Snyder said. “The same person with his family and his friends.”
Snyder also lauded his ability to work with others, both in his own caucus and the other party, which she said helped him hone his abilities to listen to all sides while sitting on the bench.
“Brandon wasn’t the loudest voice in the room,” Snyder said. “He was the most prepared, the most thoughtful and the most committed. … He didn’t chase the credit. He chased what was right.”
Nueman thanked his fellow judges in the Washington County Courthouse, some of whom attended the installation Wednesday night. He also lauded other public officials and recalled how the experience of working as an intern in then-state representative Tim Solobay’s office in the early 2000s impacted him as a young man.
“They taught me what public service is all about. It’s all about people,” Neuman said. “Thank you to my family in Washington County.”
He then pivoted to his own family, thanking his wife, Carrie, and their four children for their patience and support throughout the campaign.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you,” he said.
While Neuman is the first judge from Washington County to win a seat on an appellate court, he’s not the first to sit on the Superior Court, since former judge Richard DiSalle was appointed to a seat on that appellate court by then-Gov. Dick Thornburgh in 1980.
Before his speech, Neuman was sworn-in by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd. He will be able to continue living in North Strabane and can have his chambers in Washington County, although the location where he’ll work is still being decided.
Neuman’s exit from the Court of Common Pleas bench now leaves two vacant seats in the Washington County Courthouse after former president judge Gary Gilman, who attended the induction ceremony, retired in July. A visiting senior judge will likely help with some court matters, although it’s unclear if Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro will nominate judges to fill the vacancies with approval from the Republican-controlled state Senate.