Luzerne County Courts

From: Chester B. Muroski, President Judge on behalf of all members of the 11th Judicial District of Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County

MEDIA RELEASE: February 25, 2009

Luzerne County Court en banc, following its weekly meeting, announces the following:

1. Deputy Court Administrator Jack Mulroy has been named as Acting Court Administrator for the 11th Judicial District of Pennsylvania at a salary to be determined by the Pennsylvania Office of Administrative Courts.

2. Judge Lupas has been tasked with compiling a list of all court department heads and supervisors including their job title, job description, salary for review and evaluation by the members of the Court.

3. The Court has agreed to reevaluate the prospect of a Mental Health Court; possibly to be established in conjunction with the Drug Treatment Court already in existence. This could reduce duplication of administrative costs.

4. The Honorable Senior Judge Lawrence J. Brenner has been specially appointed to conduct a status conference involving the Hazleton area chemical spill/contamination cases.

5. The Court has also agreed to consider a restructuring of the Conflict Counsel pool on a salaried-basis. Further study is necessary. Attorney John Pike has been appointed by the Court as liaison between the Conflict Counsel pool and the Court to assist with foregoing.

6. The Court has decided to rescind the compulsory arbitration rules as they pertain to tax assessment appeals.
In June 2008, in anticipation of 8,000 – 15,000 tax assessment appeals, the Court adopted rules to send tax assessment appeals to compulsory arbitration. Since the high volume of anticipated appeals never materialized, compulsory arbitration has been rendered unnecessary. This will speed the process and spare taxpayers the added cost of arbitration proceedings.
As part of the assessment appeal process, the Court also instituted a mediation program which has been highly successful. This program will continue, but with an expedited schedule. The Court has tasked Donald Tedesco, Jury Board Supervisor, who has experience in real estate matters, to act as an additional mediator, provided the County Commissioner’s provide additional counsel to support the solicitor for the Board of Assessment Appeals
Following mediation, residential appeals will be tried before a judge of the Court of Common Please on an expedited schedule. The special master option will be retained on a case by case basis for complex protracted litigation or commercial or industrial properly appeals in the discretion of the trial judge.
The necessary rule changes are being prepared and a draft of the modified rules is expected to be available in ten (10) days.

7. Applicants for appointment by the Court to the Luzerne County Prison Board will be individually interviewed on Saturday, February 28, 2009, beginning at 9:00 a.m.. by all members of the Court. Thereafter, the Court will review its findings at the next meeting of the Court en banc