Evaluation of the impact created by unification of the Pennsylvania judicial system in the administration of the Thirty First Judicial District, Court of Common Pleas

This work traces the development of Pennsylvania's unified judicial system with attention to the effect this administrative structure has had on the Thirty First Judicial District, Court of Common Pleas.;The 1968 Judiciary Article provides for system administration, under the direction of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, through the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). The authority and responsibility for system administration, set forth in the Pennsylvania Rules of Judicial Administration, is examined.;The implementation of the unification article and its effect on Thirty First Judicial District, common pleas court administration is analyzed, through a study of local budgeting, personnel and data processing practices.;The Judiciary Article of the 1968 Pennsylvania Constitution mandates court system unification. This article was adopted at the Limited Constitutional Convention of 1967-1968. The origins of the court unification concept are explored.