Westmoreland County wants to shutter 2 district court offices

The Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas plans to close district courts in Mt. Pleasant and Penn townships by next year.

This decision was made due to dwindling population and caseloads, according to the county’s new Magisterial District Court Redistricting Plan, released Friday.

The move would save the county an estimated $462,000 a year, with an additional $340,000 in savings for the state, which pays judges’ salaries.

The district court seat in Mount Pleasant Township is vacant. Former District Judge Roger Eckels retired in March.

Eckels handled an average of 2,256 cases a year, according to the redistricting plan. That was the second-lowest in the county — ahead of only District Judge Helen Kistler in Penn Township, who handles an average of 25 fewer cases a year.

Cases from the Mt. Pleasant district court are now split between neighboring East Huntingdon and Unity. The plan would make this arrangement permanent.

The court plan calls for closing Kistler’s office once her term expires at the end of 2021. Her cases would move to the district court in Export, currently occupied by District Judge Charles Conway.

The county Court of Common Pleas has been considering redistricting for some time, according to a statement by President Judge Rita Hathaway.

Between 2010 and 2020, the county cut four court offices, going from 21 to 17.

In 2012, the county got permission from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to close another office, but that never happened.

The plan hinged on the expected retirement of Unity District Judge Michael Mahady in 2017. However, voters in 2016 approved a constitutional amendment that extended the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75.

Mahady, now 73, is expected to serve until the end of 2021. The new plan also calls for his office to take some of Eckel’s cases.

Public comments on the redistricting plan will be accepted until July 10 by contacting the county’s Court Administrator office at 2 N. Main St., Greensburg, or by email at crtadmin@co.westmoreland.pa.us.

After the comment period, the plan will be submitted to the state Supreme Court, which will make the final decision on its approval.