8 new judges will join Allegheny County Common Pleas Court

By PAULA REED WARD
TribLive

All eight new judges who will take the bench in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in January are registered Democrats.

The top vote-getters, according to county elections results late Tuesday, included a union labor-law attorney, several former prosecutors and a district judge.

Ballots in Allegheny County listed 13 candidates for Common Pleas Court, although three of them — cross-filed Democrats who won only on the Republican ticket in the primary — did not actively campaign.

With more than 90% of precincts reporting, the apparent winners included: Amanda Green-Hawkins, Heather Schmidt Bresnahan, Quita Bridges, Jaime Marie Hickton, Matthew V. Rudzki, Anthony DeLuca, Julie Capone and Dan Miller.

For Green-Hawkins, the third time is the charm.

A union-labor law attorney, she previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on Pennsylvania’s statewide appellate courts — in 2019 for Superior Court and in 2021 for Commonwealth Court.

She attributed her success on Tuesday — she remained at the top of the vote count throughout the evening — to having worked for so long in the community.

“I think it’s a reflection of the relationships, respect and goodwill I’ve been able to build up in Allegheny County,” Green-Hawkins said. “It didn’t happen overnight. It’s building trust.”

Bridges, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the court in February, said she decided she wanted to be a judge only during the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

A longtime prosecutor, she said she felt like she had become too comfortable.

“I had never wanted to be a part of the political process,” Bridges said. “But it was time to do something more.”

Jaime Marie Hickton, who also was among the top vote-getters, said she believed her message resonated.

“I’m a regular person who came from a very modest upbringing,” she said.

Hickton put herself through college and went to law school at night while working full-time as a juvenile probation officer.

“We need more judges who have shared life experiences to be able to understand the people of Allegheny County,” Hickton said.

The eight vacancies on the court — the position pays $231,222 per year — came from seven retirements and the death late last year of Judge Alexander P. Bicket.

Under state statute, Allegheny County Common Pleas Court is allotted 43 judges. They sit in four divisions: civil, criminal, orphans’ and family.

In May’s primary, 22 candidates sought a nomination on Tuesday’s ballot. That number was whittled down to 13. Among them, five each were nominated on the Democratic ticket and Republican ticket, and three were cross-filed for both parties.

None of the candidates listed only as a Republican on the ballot prevailed.

Rudzki, who was nominated only as a Democrat, has served as a district judge for the past four years. He also has previously served on Sharpsburg council and as mayor.

He said he is humbled to be chosen by the voters of Allegheny County.

“For me, it’s always been about impact,” Rudzki said. “I look forward to bringing my vision and mission of restorative, fair justice to Common Pleas Court.

Dan Miller, a state representative serving Mt. Lebanon, said it was a big night overall for Democrats.

“The eight of us ran together,” he said. “It shows a lot of synchronicity.”

Common Pleas Court seats carry 10year terms. After 10 years, sitting judges face an up-or-down retention vote.

On this year’s ballot, several Common Pleas judges were up for retention.

They included Edward J. Borkowski, Alan Hertzberg, Beth A. Lazzara, Jennifer Staley McCrady, Hugh Fitzpatrick McGough, Dan Regan and Dwayne D. Woodruff.

They all appeared to have secured new 10-year terms.

In Pennsylvania, the mandatory retirement age for the judiciary is 75.