For more than half a century, Pennsylvania law quietly imposed a harsh outcome on a small but important group of people. When a Pennsylvanian died without a will and without surviving family, their entire estate was claimed by the Commonwealth and absorbed into the state budget.
The York County Bar Association (YCBA) has tallied the results of the Judicial Evaluation Survey and Retention Poll of 489 members with respect to the retention the three judges on the York County Court of Common Pleas who are seeking retention on the ballot for the November 4, 2025 election: Judge Joseph C. Adams, Judge Michael W. Flannelly, and Judge N. Christopher Menges.
President Judge Maria Musti Cook has issued an administrative order adopting Local Rule of Orphans’ Court Procedure 5.50.1, which addresses small estate petitions. This rule takes effect August 25.
Along with the order, a fillable version of the prescribed form is now available. Both documents can be accessed below and will also be posted on the County/Court website under Court Forms.
MEMORANDUM CONCERNING ARD ELIGIBILITY IN DUI CASES
Subsequent to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's (SCOPA's) decision in Commonwealth v. Shifflett, 335 A.3d 1158 (Pa. 2025), I temporarily suspended making DUI cases eligible for ARD. I did this so that our office could perform a comprehensive review of the ARD program and determine how best to proceed going forward in light of Shifflett. Based upon the results of this analysis, our office shall resume processing DUI cases for ARD consideration under our prior guidelines with some eligibility modifications.
The York County Bar Association invites the public to a free, thought-provoking community education event on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, centered on the vital role of the judiciary in American democracy.
