Court Opinion

ID: 9757910
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 23:04:02.372433+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:45.495621
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING OPINION BY
STEVENS, J.:
¶ 1 I join in the well reasoned Majority decision except for the portion of the opinion relating to suggesting the matter be assigned to a different trial judge.
¶ 2 The Majority concludes there is no “partiality, bias or prejudice on the part of the trial judge.” Majority opinion at 791. Yet the Majority states “.. .it' might be appropriate upon remand for this case to be assigned to a different judge.”
¶ 3 Absent a showing of partiality, bias or prejudice in the record, I do not agree that our court should recommend, suggest or order that a different trial judge be assigned.
¶ 4 While the Majority in the within case merely “recommends” a different trial judge upon remand, it is becoming a disturbing practice on our court to suggest and in some cases even order that a different trial judge be assigned.
¶ 5 Such decisions by our court give the appearance that the trial judge cannot be fair and impartial and may result in recu-sal motions being filed against that judge in unrelated cases. For example, once we suggest a trial judge cannot be impartial in one case, a lawyer may seek recusal of the trial judge in another matter with similar circumstances.
¶ 6 In any event, when there is nothing in the record to suggest partiality, bias or prejudice, our court should not seek to have a different trial judge handle the matter. To do otherwise interferes with the administration of justice in Pennsylvania trial courts.
¶ 7 Thus, I specifically dissent from this portion of the Majority Opinion.