HARRISBURG, Pa. – Jefferson County Magisterial District Judge Jaqueline Mizerock was again certified for service as a member of the Pennsylvania Judiciary after successfully completing continuing legal education course work.
Conducted by the Minor Judiciary Education Board (MJEB) and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), the educational program for Magisterial District Judges (MDJs) is held at the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg, Pa., and with distance education. The 32-hour instructional program is designed to keep MDJs current in a variety of legal topics and management techniques necessary to efficiently and fairly adjudicate cases and supervise a magisterial district court office.
Courses in this year’s curriculum include: Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Updates; Civil and Landlord Tenant Law; Law for Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse; Criminal Law and Procedure; Bail Procedures; Judicial Ethics; Mental Health Overview; MDJS Case Management System; Public Access; Emergency Preparedness and Office Security; Media Relations; Audits and Case Management; Technology Use and Self-Care; Intergovernmental Relations; Veterans in the Courts; Civil and Landlord Tenant Issues Involving Elders; Ethics and the Disciplinary Process for Magisterial District Judges; and Language Access in the Courts.
Continuing education course work is required by statute for each of the more than 500 Pennsylvania MDJs to complete annually. Approximately 50 MDJs attend classes each week during the fall and spring semesters of the academic year. Traditionally a five-day course conducted in-person, the MJEB instituted a hybrid learning model for the 2022-2023 academic year requiring MDJs to complete one day of distance education along with four days of in-person instruction in Harrisburg.
MDJs represent the “grass roots” level of Pennsylvania’s judicial system. In counties other than Philadelphia, they have jurisdiction over summary criminal cases, motor vehicle cases, civil cases under $12,000, and landlord tenant matters. MDJs also issue arrest and search warrants, conduct preliminary arraignments, set bail, and hold preliminary hearings in criminal cases.
The MJEB was established by legislative act to administer the continuing legal education program and certifying courses for MDJs and Philadelphia Arraignment Court Magistrates. The MJEB sets the curriculum, appoints instructors, establishes content for the courses, administers certification examinations, and issues certificates to successful program participants. It also conducts a one-week orientation course for newly elected and appointed MDJs.
More information about the MJEB is available on the Unified Judicial System website.
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