Luzerne County Courthouse
Three Luzerne County magisterial district judge seats will be on the ballot in 2025 — two currently vacant, and one that will be open.
One vacant seat was last held by Joseph Zola, who resigned as Hazleton magisterial district judge at the end of 2023 after serving in the post since 1996.
James J. Haggerty filled the other seat until his death in March. Haggerty was elected district judge in Kingston and Edwardsville in 2017 and won a second six-year term in 2023.
The third seat currently held by District Judge Joseph J. Carmody will become vacant due to the mandatory retirement age of 75 for judges, county President Judge Michael T. Vough said Thursday.
Carmody will actively serve through 2025, but a successor must be elected to take over in 2026, Vough said.
The court has been relying on senior judges to cover the two vacant magisterial districts because no state legislative appointments were made, said county Court Administrator Paul Hindmarsh.
Senior Judge Edward Lewis has been temporarily filling Zola’s vacant post in District 11-1-03 in Hazleton. Senior Judge James E. Tupper has been the interim district judge for the other vacancy in District 11-1-05, which covers Kingston and Edwardsville, Hindmarsh said.
The winners in the 2025 election will serve full six-year terms, Hindmarsh said.
Primary election candidates can start circulating their nomination petitions on Feb. 18 and must file them by March 11 to appear on the ballot in the May 20 primary election.
The Republican and Democratic primary nominees will then advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Magisterial district judges typically cross-file on both party tickets in the primary, hoping to secure both nominations.
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the annual salary for magisterial district judges is $113,713. That amount may increase for 2026, when those elected in 2025 take office.
Magisterial district judges preside over landlord/tenant disputes, minor civil cases, traffic citations and school attendance violations. They also conduct criminal preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings.
While attorneys often run for district judge seats, a law degree is not necessary, Hindmarsh said.
Non-attorneys must complete a certification course conducted at the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg and pass an examination prior to assuming office, according to the state.
In total, the county has 16 magisterial district judges, including the two vacant seats.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
