By Max Mitchell
Of the Legal Staff
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that a Pennsylvania law abolishing jury commissioner offices did not violate the Pennsylvania Constitution.
On September 17, the Supreme Court issued an order affirming the Commonwealth Court's July 31 decision to uphold Act 4 of 2013, which Governor Tom Corbett signed in May. The law allows counties to elect to abolish jury commissioner officers.
During oral arguments before the Supreme Court last week, Samuel C. Stretton, counsel for the Pennsylvania State Association of Jury Commissioners, argued that the jury commissioner office plays a key role in the judicial system, and therefore the law is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine and an unlawful delegation of powers to the county governing bodies. John Bartley Delone, of the state Office of Attorney General, argued that the law will only abolish the administrative offices, and that the judiciary will retain control of the court.
The Supreme Court order noted that Justice Debra M. Todd dissented from the opinion. The order further said that opinions on the decision will follow.
- Read more about it in an upcoming issue of The Legal.
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