What is The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania?


The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania investigates allegations of ethical misconduct against Pennsylvania judges. If necessary, the Board prepares and brings cases against judges who are accused of unethical actions.


The Board has 12 members, all of whom must be Pennsylvania citizens. Three are judges, three are lawyers and six are non-lawyers. Half of the Board members are chosen by the Governor, the other half by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Members serve 4-year terms, without pay. They meet regularly to review complaints. Read more...


Committed to excellence, and dedicated to the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

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2008 Annual Report

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"BOARD MATTERS"

by Joseph A. Massa, Jr.

As part of our commitment to preserving the honor, dignity, independence, and integrity of Pennsylvania’s judiciary, we’re going to start publishing a regular column which will deal with judicial ethics.

Our goal in this column will be to give the concepts contained in the Code/Rules a practical context to help judges deal with ethical issues as they arise. It is quite a challenge; but we will share with you our insights gained from years of experience in handling such issues. We plan to provide:

  • examples of dismissed complaints,
  • examples of complaints resolved by confidential letters of caution or counsel, and
  • examples of the rare instances where the Board concluded that serious misconduct occurred requiring the filing of formal charges with the Court of Judicial Discipline.

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