Pennsylvania Code
Title 201 - RULES OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 19 - MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS, EMERGENCY ACTIONS, EMERGENCY UNITS AND JUDICIAL SECURITY
Rule 1952 - Emergency actions, duties and authorities

(1) In the event of an emergency that affects court operations in the Commonwealth or in one or more judicial districts, the Supreme Court shall have the authority to declare a judicial emergency generally or in any judicial district affected by the emergency.

(2) By the declaration of a judicial emergency, the Supreme Court may:

(1) In the event of an emergency, the president judge may request authorization from the Supreme Court to declare a judicial emergency in the judicial district. Such declaration shall remain in effect until such time as it is amended, rescinded, modified or superseded by order of the Supreme Court.

(2) If the Supreme Court authorizes the president judge to declare a judicial emergency in the judicial district, and unless limited by the Supreme Court, the president judge shall have the authority to:

(3) The president judge shall immediately notify the Court Administrator of any emergency occurring within his or her court or judicial district that causes the closure of court facilities, causes the temporary suspension of court operations or causes the full or partial implementation of the court's continuity of operations plan.

(4) Requests for emergency judicial orders pursuant to paragraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2)(S) shall be made to the Court Administrator on a form substantially similar to the one appended to this Rule. Upon receiving a request for an emergency judicial order, the Court Administrator shall immediately transmit said request to (1) the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania or another Justice designated by the Chief Justice and (2) to the Supreme Court Prothonotary. Emergency judicial orders may be signed by the Chief Justice or another Justice designated by the Chief Justice to handle emergency applications for relief. Facsimile signatures may be used in lieu of original signatures on emergency judicial orders. Objections to emergency judicial orders from the Supreme Court shall be transmitted to the Supreme Court Prothonotary in a manner prescribed by the Supreme Court.

(5) During an emergency, the provisions of any statewide procedural rules that require submission of local rules, including administrative orders, to the Supreme Court, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, a statewide procedural rules committee, or the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, shall not apply to any local rules or administrative orders issued in response to the emergency. The president judge of the affected judicial district shall inform the Supreme Court of any local rule or administrative order issued under this paragraph as soon as practicable.

(1) The Court Administrator shall render such assistance as practicable and proper to judicial districts affected by an emergency and to assist in the continuity of operations.

(2) The Court Administrator shall coordinate efforts of the Unified Judicial System to provide relief to judicial districts affected by an emergency, including providing available resources and personnel from other judicial districts.

(3) The Court Administrator shall provide information concerning the emergency to appropriate governmental and non-governmental entities in a timely manner.

(4) In the event the Court Administrator is notified of an emergency that causes the temporary closure of court operations, the Court Administrator shall immediately advise the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate and the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives of such emergency.

(5) All requests for emergency judicial orders submitted to the Supreme Court, all emergency judicial orders issued by the Supreme Court, and all emergency judicial orders issued by president judges shall, to the extent possible and practical under the circumstances, be promptly and conspicuously posted on the Unified Judicial System website.

(1) The district court administrator shall assist the president judge in planning for emergencies and for the continuation of court operations in the event of an emergency.

(2) In the event of an emergency, the district court administrator shall assist the president judge in implementing continuity of operations plans.

(3) In the event of an emergency, unless otherwise specified in the continuity of operations plan, the district court administrator shall:

(4) Once normal court operations are resumed, the district court administrator shall communicate with judges, staff and other appropriate individuals and entities to develop an after-action report to be transmitted to the Court Administrator and in conjunction with the continuity of operations plan review mandated in Pa.R.J.A. No. 1951(b)(4).