Thomas A. Placey
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Thomas A. Placey was a judge for the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. He was elected to the court in 2011 and he resigned on June 1, 2021.[1] Click here to learn more.
Approach to the law
Judge Placey described his judicial philosophy as follows: "A judge is only as good as their last decision and good decisions start with getting the facts."[2]
Education
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, behavioral science, 1984
- Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, PA, J.D., 1990[2]
Professional career
- 2012-2021: Judge, Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas
- 1997-2011: Magisterial district judge, Cumberland County
- Appointed 2010: Judicial Conduct Board
- Appointed 2003 and appointed chair 2008: Minor Court Rules Committee
- 1992: Assistant district attorney for Cumberland County[2]
Awards and associations
- Abel Klaw Trial Advocacy
- Cumberland County Bar Association
- Dauphin County Bar Association
- Special Court Judges Association[2]
2011 election
Placey won the Republican Party primary on May 17. He received 16% in the Democratic primary and 20.2% of the vote in the Republican primary.[3] He was elected to the court in the general election on November 8, winning 35.7% of the vote.[4]
- See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2011
Noteworthy events
Complaint by Judicial Conduct Board
On September 26, 2019, ABC27 reported that multiple individuals were contacted by the Judicial Conduct Board of the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas to discuss Placey's behavior as a judge.[5] ABC27 reported that the Judicial Conduct Board could not comment for reasons of confidentiality.[5]
On June 9, 2020, the Judicial Conduct Board filed a formal complaint against Placey regarding his courtroom conduct. With respect to one of the incidents cited in the complaint, the board wrote that Placey "engaged in conduct that was so extreme that it brought the judicial office itself into disrepute."[6][7] In July 2020, Placey's attorney filed a document claiming that chronic traumatic encephalopathy from playing sports in college led to behavioral changes that prompted the behavior in question. Placey said that he enrolled in the NCAA Concussion Management Medical Monitoring Program and sought assistance from the Judges Concerning for Judges.[8]
As of May 11, 2021, the Court of Judicial Discipline was reviewing the complaint against Placey. If the Court of Judicial Discipline determines there was misconduct, Placey could face "fines, loss of pension, or even be banned from serving as a judge in the future."[9]
Placey submitted his resignation letter, effective June 1, 2021, on May 27, 2021. The following day, the judicial conduct board withdrew four of 18 complaints against Placey, including the charge of violating the state constitution.[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ABC 27 News, "Judge Thomas Placey resigns from the bench amid judicial conduct complaints," June 1, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Per information submitted to Judgepedia on August 25, 2011
- ↑ Cumberland County Bureau of Election, Unofficial Election Results
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Unofficial Returns
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ABC27, "Sources: Judge’s conduct under investigation," September 26, 2019
- ↑ Pennsylvania Courts, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline," June 9, 2020
- ↑ Penn Live, "Cumberland County Judge Thomas A. Placey charged over ‘extremely loud’ outbursts in his courtroom," June 9, 2020
- ↑ Penn Live, "Cumberland County Judge Thomas A. Placey blames sports concussion injuries for courtroom outbursts," July 9, 2020
- ↑ ABC 27 News, "Audio of Judge Placey yelling in courtroom: 'Out now! What is the problem with your hearing?'" May 11, 2021
Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
