Court Opinion

ID: 9713085
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:07:20.222923+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:16.508463
License: Public Domain

OPINION BY
President Judge COLINS.1
James P. Troutman (Troutman), the Clerk of Courts of Berks County, appeals the decision of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County (common pleas court) that dismissed Troutman’s exceptions to an administrative order (Administrative Order) of the common pleas court. The Administrative Order directed Troutman to seal the court records of any criminal defendant whose criminal history is ordered expunged upon successful completion of the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. Troutman claims the Administrative Order requires him to violate his duty as clerk of courts to maintain court records for public inspection.
On August 27, 2003, the common pleas court modified its “Order for Dismissal and Expungement” (Expungement Order) for criminal defendants who have successfully completed ARD. The modified Ex-pungment Order provides, “The Clerk of Courts shall seal the entire record and Court Information Management shall seal the electronic records to prohibit public access to them.” The common pleas court’s practice prior to August 27, 2003 is not clear from the record. However, it is undisputed that the modification was a departure from the common pleas court’s prior practice respecting ARD expungement orders. Troutman maintains that *1051expungement orders issued before August 27, 2003 were directed to the records of law enforcement agencies and not to the records of the court.
On November 3, 2003, President Judge Scott D. Keller, in his capacity as executive and administrative head of the common pleas court under the Judicial Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 325(e)(1), issued the Administrative Order, No. l-MD-2003, providing:
AND NOW, the 3rd day of November, 2003, it is hereby ORDERED AND DECREED that the Clerk of Courts is directed to immediately comply with and execute the procedures outlined in Ex-pungement Orders of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County. Failure to implement the Orders may subject the Clerk of Courts, James Troutman, to contempt proceedings.
(Common pleas court opinion, p. 3.)
On November 12, 2003, Troutman filed exceptions to the Administrative Order. Troutman claimed the Administrative Order violates the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9101-9183 (Criminal Records Act). Troutman argued that among other records, the Criminal Records Act prohibits expungement of public records maintained by the court.
Based on Troutman’s exceptions, the president judge ordered a hearing on Troutman’s exceptions and appointed a panel of three judges.2 The president judge appointed counsel to represent criminal defendants who had successfully completed ARD (Expungement Defendants) because he believed they should participate as amicus curiae in the hearing. Further, the president judge published a notice in the Berks County Law Journal inviting the filing of amicus curiae briefs on the issues raised by Troutman’s exceptions.
On January 21, 2004, a hearing on Troutman’s exception was held. Troutman testified that his office was in compliance with the Administrative Order; to wit, whenever an expungement order was received the appropriate records were removed from the clerk’s office, placed in boxes, and sealed for storage. Cathy M. Marburger, Deputy Court Administrator, testified that upon receipt of an expungement order the electronic record on the computerized docket was also sealed. Further testimony also established that the criminal history of expungement defendants is preserved for access by certain law enforcement agencies.3 The panel denied Chief Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth Ronald Stanko’s request to testify, finding that he sought to offer legal argument rather than factual testimony. Both Troutman and the Ex-pungement Defendants filed post-hearing briefs. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Newspapers Association filed a post-hearing amicus curiae brief in support of Troutman.
On March 30, 2004, the common pleas court issued a memorandum opinion, without a separate order, dismissing Trout-man’s exceptions. The panel held that the Criminal Records Act does not apply to court records, Troutman lacked standing to object to the Administrative Order, and *1052the expungement of ARD defendants’ criminal records was lawful. Thereafter, Troutman appealed to this Court. Consequently, the common pleas court filed its second memorandum opinion in response to Troutman’s Rule 1925(b) statement.4
The issues before this Court are whether Troutman has standing to challenge the Administrative Order and whether this Court has jurisdiction to consider Trout-man’s challenge.
“Any party seeking judicial resolution of a controversy in this Commonwealth must, as a prerequisite, establish that he has standing to maintain the action.” Dauphin County Public Defenders Office v. Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County, 578 Pa. 59, 63, 849 A.2d 1145, 1148 (2004) (internal quotations and citations omitted). In order to have standing to challenge an official order, “a party must be aggrieved by the action or order.” Commonwealth v. J.H., 563 Pa. 248, 252, 759 A.2d 1269, 1271 (2000). “For a party to be aggrieved, it must have a substantial, direct, immediate, and not remote interest in the subject-matter of the litigation.” Id. In order for Troutman to have a substantial interest, “there must be a discernible adverse effect to some interest other than in the abstract.” Id. (internal citations omitted). This Court can discern no adverse effect to Troutman, beyond that of the common citizens interest in seeing the law followed. It is true that Troutman has sworn an oath to maintain the records of the court, but “standing is not conferred via a party’s relationship to the proceedings.” Id. Without some injury Troutman cannot have standing.
In addition, the Criminal Records Act confers no authority on Troutman to enforce its provisions or exercise independent discretion. In fact, the Criminal Records Act confers the opportunity to challenge expungement orders on the district attorneys by requiring that they be notified prior to the entry of an expungement order. 18 Pa.C.S. 9122(f).5 Troutman, on the other hand, plays only “a ministerial part” in the expungement procedure, which is not enough to confer standing. See Pennsylvania State Police v. Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, 150 Pa.Cmwlth. 338, 615 A.2d 946 (1992), aff'd per curiam, 533 Pa. 324, 623 A.2d 814 (1993) (State Police play only ministerial part in collecting criminal data, which is not sufficient to confer standing). Consequently, Troutman lacks any statutorily conferred standing to request this Court to set aside the Administrative Order in question.
In addition, by dismissing Troutman’s exceptions following a hearing before a three-judge panel, the common pleas court effectively confirmed a decree nisi, making the Administrative Order a final injunctive order. A final injunctive order is enforceable through contempt proceedings, as noted in the Administrative Order itself. No Rule to Show Cause why Troutman should not be held in contempt has been issued according to the record. Indeed, there is nothing in the record to indicate that Troutman has not complied with the Administrative Order. As such, there is *1053no controversy before this Court. Therefore, Troutman’s appeal is quashed.
As a final matter, this Court properly has jurisdiction to consider Troutman’s challenge because, as discussed above, the common pleas court entered a final ruling in the matter. This Court has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals from final orders of the courts of common pleas by or against the Commonwealth government, including Commonwealth officers acting in an official capacity. 42 Pa.C.S. § 762. A judge of a court of common pleas, when sued in his or her official capacity is either the Commonwealth government or an officer of said government. Brown v. Taylor, 90 Pa.Cmwlth. 23, 494 A.2d 29, 32 (1985).
Accordingly, the order of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County in the above-captioned matter is affirmed.

ORDER

AND NOW, this 13th day of September 2005, the order of the Court of the Common Pleas Court of Berks County in the above-captioned matter is affirmed.

. This opinion was reassigned to this author on July 8, 2005.

. The judges assigned to the panel were the Honorable Linda K.M. Ludgate, the Honorable Thomas G. Parisi, and the Honorable Mary Ann Campbell.

. Such access to criminal histories is apparently allowed because ARD is available only to first-time criminal offenders. Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3807(l)(2)(i); Section 17 of The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act, Act of April 14, 1972, P.L. 233, as amended, 35 P.S. § 780-117. See generally, Pa. R.Crim. P. Ch. 3, introductory cmt. (discussing primary purpose and procedural framework of ARD).

. Direction to file statement of matters complained of. The lower court forthwith may enter an order directing the appellant to file of record in the lower court and serve on the trial judge a concise statement of the matters complained of on appeal no later than 14 days after entry of such order. Pa. R.A.P. 1925(b).

. The Criminal Records Act states: "District attorney's notice.- — The court shall give ten days prior notice to the district attorney of the county where the original charge was filed of any applications for expungement under the provisions of subsection (a)(2).” 18 Pa.C.S. 9122(f).