The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania : Life and Law in the Commonwealth, 1684–2017

Established in 1684, over a century before the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court is the oldest appellate court in North America. This balanced, comprehensive history of the Court examines over three centuries of legal proceedings and cases before the body, the controversies and conflicts with which it dealt, and the impact of its decisions and of the case law its justices created Introduced by constitutional scholar Ken Gormley, this volume describes the Supreme Court’s structure and powers and focuses at length on the Court’s work in deciding notable cases of constitutional law, civil rights, torts, criminal law, labor law, and administrative law. Through three sections, “The Structure and Powers of the Supreme Court,” “Decisional Law of the Supreme Court,” and “Reporting Supreme Court Decisions,” the contributors address the many ways in which the Court and its justices have shaped life and law in Pennsylvania and beyond. They consider how it has adjudicated new and complex issues arising from some of the most notable events and tragedies in American history, including the struggle for religious liberty in colonial Pennsylvania, the Revolutionary War, slavery, the Johnstown Flood, the Homestead Steel Strike and other labor conflicts, both World Wars, and, more recently, the dramatic rise of criminal procedural rights and the expansion of tort law. Featuring an afterword by Chief Justice Saylor and essays by leading jurists, deans, law and history professors, and practicing attorneys__,__ this fair-minded assessment of the Court is destined to become a criterion volume for lawmakers, scholars, and anyone interested in legal history in the Keystone State and the United States. A Narrative History Of The Supreme Court Of Pennsylvania. Explores The Court's Notable Decisions And Why They Matter In The Broader Context Of Pennsylvania And American Law And History--provided By Publisher. Foreword / John J. Hare -- Introduction / Kenneth G. Gormley -- Selecting Judges In Pennsylvania / Charles L. Becker And Ruxandra M. Laidacker -- The King's Bench Powers / William S. Stickman Iv -- The Power Of Rulemaking / Renée Cohn Jubelirer, Robert L. Byer, And Meredith E. Carpenter -- The Supreme Court's Singular Criminal Procedure Work In A Pivotal Era / James A. Shellenberger And James A. Strazzella -- Supervising And Regulating The Practice Of Law / Thomas G. Wilkinson, Jr. And Roger B. Meilton -- Supervising And Regulating The Judiciary / Roger B. Meilton And Thomas G. Wilkinson, Jr -- The Development And Improvement Of Pennsylvania's Judicial Computer System / Hon. Joseph A. Del Sole, Amy Ceraso And Thomas B. Darr -- The Supreme Court And The Separation Of Powers Under The Pennsylvania Constitution / Howard J. Bashman -- The Supreme Court And Religious Liberty : The Competing Visions Of William Penn And Chief Justice John Bannister Gibson / Gary S. Gildin --^ Free Expression Vs. Reputation : The Supreme Court's Problematic Weighing Of Interests / Carl A. Solano And Edward J. Sholinsky -- Women On The Court And The Court On Women / Deborah L. Brake And Susan Frietsche -- Article I, Section 28 Of The Pennsylvania Constitution : Prohibiting The Denial Or Abridgment Of Equality Of Rights Because Of Sex / Phyllis W. Beck And Michele Hudzicki-grimmig -- The Enforcement Of Antidiscrimination Laws / Teresa Ficken Sachs -- The Olmsted Affair And The Rise Of Federal Power In Revolutionary Pennsylvania / John J. Hare -- The Floodgates Of Strict Liability : The Johnstown Flood Of 1889, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, And The Rise Of Modern American Tort Law / Jed H. Shugerman -- Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Law / Charles L. Becker, Shanin Specter, And Thomas R. Kline -- The Ebb And Flow Of The Law : The Supreme Court's Product Liability Jurisprudence / James M. Beck --^ Clash Of Titans : The Supreme Court And Products Liability / Clifford R. Rieders And Pamela L. Shipman -- The 1778-1779 Chester And Philadelphia Treason Trials : The Supreme Court As Trial Court / Carlton F.w. Larson -- Slavery And The Supreme Court : High Court Justices And The Problem Of Fundamental Justice / Paul Finkelman -- When Felons Don't Kill : The Felony Murder Rule In Pennsylvania / Arthur G. Lefrancois -- The Supreme Court And The Labor Movement / Jeffrey P. Bauman -- The Homestead Lockout Of 1892 And Jurisprudence In Pennsylvania / Melvyn Dubofsky -- Defining The Role Of The Legislature In Regulating The Economy / Vincent C. Deliberato, Jr -- Pennsylvania Administrative Law / John L. Gedid -- Afterword / Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor -- Appendix A: The Reports Of The Pennsylvania Supreme Court / Joel Fishman, Ph. D -- Appendix B: Historical List Of Supreme Court Justices. Edited By John J. Hare. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.