Timika Lane

Timika Lane

Democratic Party

Pennsylvania Superior Court

Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2034

Years in position

1

Prior offices

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$239,059

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 7, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

Howard University, 1994

Law

Rutgers-Camden School of Law, 2002

Personal

Birthplace

Philadelphia, Pa.

Religion

Baptist

Profession

Judge

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Personal Facebook

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Timika Lane (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2024. Her current term ends on January 1, 2034.

Lane (Democratic Party) ran for election for judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She won in the general election on November 7, 2023.

Lane also ran for re-election for judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She won in the retention election on November 7, 2023.

Biography

Timika Lane was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received a bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1994 and a J.D. from Rutgers-Camden in 2002. Lane's professional experience includes being a judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, a certified legal intern for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, a certified child advocate for the Center for Child Advocacy, a judicial law clerk for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, an assistant public defender for the Philadelphia Defender Association of Philadelphia, and the chief legal counsel for Pennsylvania Sen. Anthony Hardy. She has been affiliated with the Links—Delaware Valley Chapter, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court County Adult Probation and Parole Advisory Committee, the Philadephia Bar Association—Advancing Civics Education, Delta Sigma Theta, the Cancer Hope Network, and the Black Brain Campaign.

Elections

2023

Pennsylvania Superior Court

See also: Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2023

General election

General election for Pennsylvania Superior Court (2 seats)

Jill Beck and Timika Lane defeated Maria Battista and Harry Smail Jr. in the general election for Pennsylvania Superior Court on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jill Beck (D)	28.0	1,572,023
✔		Timika Lane (D)	25.5	1,431,550
		Maria Battista (R)	24.1	1,353,555
		Harry Smail Jr. (R)	22.3	1,251,817

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,608,945
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court (2 seats)

Jill Beck and Timika Lane defeated Patrick F. Dugan in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jill Beck	40.3	694,115
✔		Timika Lane	37.9	653,020
		Patrick F. Dugan	21.7	373,619

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,720,754
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court (2 seats)

Maria Battista and Harry Smail Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Maria Battista	52.9	626,159
✔		Harry Smail Jr.	47.1	557,707

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,183,866
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Lane received the following endorsements.

• United Mine Workers of America, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

See also: City elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023)

General election

General election for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

Incumbent Timika Lane won election in the general election for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Timika Lane (Nonpartisan)	100.0	186,747

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 186,747
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2021

See also: Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2021

General election

General election for Pennsylvania Superior Court

Megan Sullivan defeated Timika Lane in the general election for Pennsylvania Superior Court on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Megan Sullivan (R)	53.6	1,478,252
		Timika Lane (D)	46.4	1,278,771

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,757,023
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court

Timika Lane defeated Jill Beck and Bryan Neft in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court on May 18, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Timika Lane	48.8	482,433
		Jill Beck	39.7	392,205
		Bryan Neft	11.5	113,393

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 988,031
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court

Megan Sullivan advanced from the Republican primary for Pennsylvania Superior Court on May 18, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Megan Sullivan	100.0	881,046

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 881,046
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Lane's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.

2013

Lane ran for election to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

Primary: She received 11.63 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary on May 21, 2013.
General: She was elected in the general election on November 5, 2013, with 13.4 percent of the vote. Joe Fernandes, Daniel D. McCaffery, Giovanni O. Campbell, Sierra Thomas Street, Anne Marie B. Coyle and Judge Kenneth J. Powell, Jr. were also on the ballot, competing for six open seats.

See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2013 - Courts of Common Pleas

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Timika Lane did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Timika Lane did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released May 13, 2021

Timika Lane completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lane's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. The daughter of a single mother who worked as a Philadelphia police detective, my family always emphasized commitment to the community. I graduated from Howard University and worked as a public school teacher for several years before going to law school

Once I graduated, I served as a public defender, a certified child advocate, and a civil arbitrator. I also worked as Chief Legal Counsel for a Pa. State Senator, where I was tasked with drafting and interpreting the constitutionality of statutes. Currently, I am a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. I am the only judge assigned to handle human trafficking matters and I have a full caseload consisting of major felony trials. In addition to my legal work, I am active in my community. I volunteer teaching civics in the Philadelphia school district; work to minimize the stigma of mental health issues with the Black Brain Campaign; and have served on various committees focusing on improving processes within the judicial system for the Pa. Supreme Court and the National Judicial Council.

Finally, I am the proud mom of a daughter who currently attends my alma mater, Howard University.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Experience Matters. I was elected in 2013 and have personally handled some of the most serious cases in the Court of Common Pleas. Currently, I am the only judge handling human trafficking matters in Philadelphia county. I have written countless opinions, which have been cited by the Superior Court as well authored. I have a proven track record of fair and even handedness on the bench.
• Knowledge Matters. I dedicated my legal career to being of service to my community, and I have a wide breadth of legal knowledge. It has been my privilege to work as a prosecutor, a public defender, and a certified child advocate. While serving as Chief Legal Counsel for a state senator, I helped draft and interpret the constitutionality of statutes. I also served as an arbitrator for civil matters and represented men and women in domestic relations court.
• Respect Matters. I believe the Court should be reflective of the community it serves. The Superior Court is the last chance at justice for many Pennsylvanians . They deserve judges who understand the difficulties they've face and will treat each and every person with the same level of dignity and respect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about access to the legal system for all litigants. I believe that transparency and efficiency are integral to the administration of justice. As a judge, I understand that my role is to provide an unbiased, but compassionate forum for individuals. I believe this is best accomplished by the speedy adjudication of matters and the promulgation of procedures that allow for accessible communication with litigants. Protecting the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary is also important to me. Judges should interpret the laws in each case before it without personal biases.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for a judge on the Superior Court include having the requisite ability to effectively manage one's calendar, and intimate knowledge of the law, and experience handling litigants from all walks of life.

The decisions that are made before the Superior Court can have a huge impact on the everyday lives of Pennsylvanians. Citizens deserve to have these matters resolved in a timely manner, so they know how to conduct their affairs and/or receive the justice they may have been denied.
Furthermore, having an intimate knowledge of various areas of the law helps legitimize the decisions from the Court. People have a right to have their matters adjudicated before a bench that possesses some core competencies in the area of the law being addressed.

Additionally, it is imperative that every person that appears before the Court be treated with dignity and respect. The citizens of this Commonwealth deserve judges who will uphold the law without respect to their own personal beliefs. Without question, creating an unbiased environment for all litigants will be the cornerstone of every argument before me and every opinion authored by me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

When I was in 7th grade, shortly after Christmas break, all the teachers in my school were abuzz with news about the teacher who had been selected to go into space. I never really thought about space as a real place, even though I had learned about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren. They were astronauts, but this was a teacher. She was going to get a chance to do something most other people could only dream about. The teachers in my school seemed excited for her and there was a feeling that some of them were even a little jealous. But on the morning of the Challenger lift-off, my principal came over the PA system and told us that the space shuttle exploded. I remember wondering how far off the ground it must have been for something like that to happen. I wondered if the teacher was able to jump off in time and if she was okay. My teacher wheeled a television into the classroom and we watched the news coverage. I knew then that she didn't get out in time - that she hadn't been able to just jump out like in a movie. She was gone. My teacher was very upset and she tried not to let us see. It was one of the first times I felt real sorrow for someone that was not a family member or a friend. It was sombering and something I will never forget.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Open Arms by Journey

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

In 2016, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. At the time, my daughter was in her sophomore year of high school and I was carrying a full caseload as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. The diagnosis was scary. The cancer was only detected in about 3% of cancer patients and the treatment needed to be swift and aggressive. I knew that my illness would be burdensome for my family, friends and the litigants who were scheduled to appear before me. I continued to handle cases right up to the time of my surgery. While I was out I worked on opinions in between my treatments and helping my daughter keep up with her assignments. When I returned to work, I was a little more deliberate with my everyday interactions.
My fight against cancer made me more keenly aware of how intimate each decision I made was on the lives of every witness, every victim, and every defendant appearing in my court room. Now cancer free, I continue to insure that justice is served in decision I render.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Most Pennsylvanians do not know that they have an absolute right to appeal decisions from the trial courts to Superior Court. Even those who are aware of this right, do not understand that for many of them the Superior Court is their last chance to get the justice they are seeking. While the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is its highest court, they only hear a limited number of cases each year. That is why it is imperative that the judges of the Superior Court uphold the law without respect to their own personal beliefs. Without question, creating an unbiased environment for all litigants will be the cornerstone of every argument before me and every opinion authored by me.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is an essential quality of any good judge. In order to fairly adjudicate matters, a judge has to understand the motivations and emotions of others. In essence, empathy is required to provide a fair and balanced approach to the law. Litigants are not just names on a pleading, they are members of our community and they deserve judges who have the experience and the knowledge to properly apply the facts of their cases to the law of the land with compassion.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

When I was a lawyer running for the Court of Common Pleas, my qualifications were examined by the Philadelphia Bar Association, the oldest association of lawyers in the United States. I was found to be Recommended at that time, and I am proud to say that when I sought the office of Superior Court, my qualifications and experience as a judge were examined and the non-partisan Pennsylvania Bar Association found me to be Recommended, as well.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

Pennsylvania	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Pennsylvania Superior Court Pennsylvania Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Pennsylvania	Federal courts State courts Local courts

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Footnotes

Pennsylvania courts

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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