Vacancies Before justices, judges and district justices can be appointed or elected to their positions, they must meet certain basic requirements such as citizenship and residency. In addition, all but district justices and Philadelphia Traffic Court judges must be members of the Bar of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Jurists are also subject to strict standards of conduct, and they may be removed, suspended or otherwise disciplined for misconduct in office.
Judicial elections occur in odd-numbered years.
With the exception of the special courts judges, all justices and judges within the Unified Judicial System are elected to ten-year terms. District justices and judges of Philadelphia's Municipal and Traffic Courts are elected to terms of six years, while judges of Pittsburgh Magistrates Court are appointed by the mayor to four-year terms. Vacancies occurring before an election may be filled by gubernatorial appointment, subject to Senate confirmation, until such time as an election is held. Judges and justices may serve an unlimited number of terms and are re-elected at the pleasure of the electorate. This provision was designed to remove judges from the pressures of the political arena once they begin their first terms of office.