Title: In Re: Prohibited Political Activity by Court-Appointed Employees (Per Curiam Order)

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

GUIDELINES REGARDING POLITICAL ACTIVITY BY COURT-APPOINTED EMPLOYEES AS AMENDED THIS 24th DAY OF NOVEMBER 1998. 1. Definitions. (a) The term “partisan political activity” shall include, but is not limited to, running for public office, serving as a party committee-person, working at a polling place on Election Day, performing volunteer work in a political campaign, soliciting contributions for political campaigns, and soliciting contributions for a political action committee or organization, but shall not include involvement in non-partisan or public community organizations or professional groups. (b) The term “court-appointed employees” shall include, but is not limited to, all employees appointed to and who are employed in the court system, statewide and at the county level, employees of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, Court Administrators and their employees and assistants, court clerks, secretaries, data processors, probation officers, and such other persons serving the judiciary. 2. Prohibition of Partisan Political Activity. (a) Court-appointed employees shall not be involved in any form of partisan political activity. (b) This prohibition shall not apply to court-appointed employees who are duly sworn Court-appointed full-time masters and members of Board of Viewers, who are attorneys in good standing admitted to the practice of law in this Commonwealth, who may become candidates for higher judicial office. Said employees shall, during such candidacy, be subject to the provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct and, particularly, Canon 7, which governs judicial campaigns. 3. Termination of Employment. Except as provided in paragraph 2(b), above, h[H]enceforth, a court-appointed employee engaging in partisan political activity shall cease such partisan political activity at once or shall be terminated from his or her position. In the event an employee chooses to become a candidate for any office, such employee shall be terminated, effective the close of business on the first day of circulating petitions for said office. 4. President Judge. The President Judge of each appellate court or county court of common pleas shall be responsible for the implementation of these guidelines and shall be subject to the review of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Board for failure to enforce. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA IN RE: : No. 201 Judicial Administration PROHIBITED POLITICAL : Docket No. 1 ACTIVITY BY COURT-APPOINTED : EMPLOYEES : ORDER PER CURIAM AND NOW, this 24th day of November, 1998, the prohibition against political activity by court-appointed employees is hereby reaffirmed, and the attached guidelines, as amended this date, are intended to clarify the policy which was previously approved by this Court. These guidelines, as amended, shall be effective immediately. Mr. Justice Castille files a dissenting statement which is joined by Mr. Justice Nigro and Madame Justice Newman. Note: New material is bolded. Bracketed material is deleted.