Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here’s a rundown of what happened last week:

The FJD announced a new protocol for public access to the courts: “Consistent with the April 28, 2020 Supreme Court’s Emergency Order of Statewide Judicial Administration Applicable from May 1, 2020 through June 1, 2020 (Nos. 531 and 532 Judicial Administration Docket), the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (FJD) will continue to utilize Zoom remoteContinue reading “A New Public Access Protocol”

The differences in the outcomes for Friday’s hearings speaks for itself: the prosecutor in the room matters, and judges will follow their lead. On Friday, all the parole hearings (plus one bail hearing that has been going on for days) happened in Judge Charles Ehrlich’s courtroom. The ADA objected (in some cases, “strenuously!”) to 13Continue reading “A Tale of Two Courtrooms”

Have a few hours a week to spare? A phone? A computer or tablet with internet? That’s all you need to sign up to be a courtwatch volunteer. What to do: Check your email the morning of your shift for call-in information and schedule Download Calendar Schedule Report if attached to email, or go toContinue reading “How to (Virtually) Courtwatch in Philly”

Interested in being a courtwatch volunteer? Sign up here.

Posted by Nikki Grant, Courtwatch Organizer. On February 26, 2020, the Judge Accountability Table held its first Courtwatch Volunteer Training. Volunteers received a primer on how Philadelphia and Pennsylvania courts work and then were trained on how to observe judges. The Courtwatch Program was set for its initial run on March 16th. Then, COVID-19 happened.Continue reading “Courtwatching in the time of Coronavirus”