Opinion ID: 2061175
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Proceedings Before Judge Montgomery

Text: On June 23, 1970, Judge Harry M. MONTGOMERY, of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, was specially designated by this Court to hear and decide this case. Judge MONTGOMERY promptly held a pretrial conference, at which time the legal issues were delineated and an agreement was worked out by the parties that defendants would hold and keep available sufficient funds to pay any sums ultimately awarded to the Court. On July 27, 1970, Judge MONTGOMERY issued a Pretrial Order, ordering the parties to argue and brief certain issues and temporarily enjoining the defendants from enforcing a job freeze ordered by the Mayor against the Court, and also from reducing the Court's budget. Oral argument was held on August 4, 1970, and Judge MONTGOMERY filed a Supplemental Pretrial Order on August 12, 1970. In this Order, Judge MONTGOMERY ruled, inter alia: (1) the Court had the burden of proof to establish the reasonable necessity of its financial requests and none of the parties could take advantage of the usual presumption of reasonableness by virtue of their public office; (2) defendants, as a defense to plaintiff's demand for additional funds in this action of mandamus, could not reopen the earlier budget figures, which had been approved by the Mayor and for which appropriations had been made by the City Council, in order to prove that the present appropriation was being used inefficiently or that a more efficient use of present appropriations would cover some or all of the additional requested items; and (3) defendants had a right to a jury trial. [] The record was closed on August 21, 1970, after extensive testimony had been taken and exhibits produced. At this time, the Court amended its request for funds by reducing the sum of $5,230,817 it had requested in the complaint to $3,962,532, mainly because of the delay in time from the start of the fiscal year (July 1, 1970). On September 30, 1970, Judge MONTGOMERY issued a mandamus Order against defendants to appropriate and pay the amount of $2,458,000, and made final his injunctive Order of July 27, 1970. A complete tabulation of the original request in the complaint, the amended request, and the final award of September 30, 1970, is as follows: Court Original Amended Order Request Request 9/30/70 Adult Probation $1,782,216 $1,071,937 $ 800,000 Juvenile Probation 539,922 345,032 250,000 Data Processing 453,934 434,175 250,000 Apprehension of Fugitives 335,910 284,322 285,000 Courtroom Personnel 224,452 152,420 100,000 Attorney Fees 300,000 300,000 300,000 Arbitration Fees 390,000 390,000 200,000 Writ Service 100,000 100,000 75,000 Gibson Building Personnel 227,036 113,518 Disallowed Probation Relocation 24,500 24,500 Disallowed Repairs  1801 Vine Street 40,000 40,000 Disallowed Janitorial Staff 56,940 47,431 Disallowed Microfilm 96,822 88,335 Disallowed Bail Project 172,857 145,881 Disallowed Dental Equipment 10,413 10,413 Disallowed Domestic Relations 61,912 51,593 Disallowed Total Copy System 23,000 23,000 23,000 Building Services 145,377 129,449 Disallowed Law Clerks 133,206 133,206 100,000 Station Wagon 2,320 2,320 Disallowed Prothonotary Relocation 35,000 Withdrawn - Crime Commission Grant 75,000 75,000 75,000 __________ __________ __________ Totals $5,230,817 $3,962,532 $2,458,000 Both parties filed exceptions to the Order of September 30, 1970, and also to the Supplemental Pretrial Order of August 12, 1970, and these exceptions were then argued before Judge MONTGOMERY. [] The exceptions were dismissed by Judge MONTGOMERY on November 2, 1970, and final judgment was entered in the amount awarded by his Order of September 30, 1970. Both parties appealed to the Commonwealth Court, and thereafter, on November 12, 1970, a petition for plenary jurisdiction under Section 205 of the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act of 1970 was granted by this Court.