State Supreme Court Adopts New Rules

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court now has the ability to react to emergency situations throughout the state. New rules allow for the Supreme Court to declare a judicial emergency giving it the ability to change procedural or administrative rules such as reestablishing the location of court, reassigning judges, canceling or modifying court calendars, subpoenas, court orders and even canceling or suspending trials and jury duty. Spokesman for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts Stuart Ditzen says court responses to both the September 11th attacks and Hurricane Katrina were examined in creating the new rules. The new rules, two and a half years in the making were adopted on Monday and take effect immediately.