00:02 - Please rise.

00:10 - The honorable judges

00:12 - of the Courts of Common Pleas.

00:41 - The honorable judges

00:43 - of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

01:07 - The Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

01:10 - And judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

02:08 - Oh, yeah.

02:09 - Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

02:10 - Let the ceremonial session of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania come to order.

02:14 - Let all manner of persons rise and attend.

02:16 - Let the friends, family, and associates of the Honorable Brandon Newman be joyful.

02:20 - Let the citizens of this Commonwealth be confident and sure.

02:23 - As the Superior Court convenes.

02:25 - Administration to Brandon Newman.

02:26 - The oath of office for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

02:29 - God save the Commonwealth and this honorable court.

02:31 - The honorable Jack Anello, president, judge emeritus presiding.

02:35 - Please be seated.

02:45 - Well, good evening everyone.

02:47 - And thank you very much for joining us for this joyous occasion

02:52 - to install our newest judge, Judge Brandon Newman.

02:56 - You know, as I look down at them,

02:59 - I think we should deviate from the program

03:02 - a little bit and less as Judge Newman and his family to stand.

03:06 - And let's give them a warm Pennsylvania welcome.

03:36 - Wasn't that a good way to start this program?

03:39 - Well, judge, you and your family look incredibly well today, and,

03:44 - we welcome you to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

03:49 - At this point, I'm going to ask all of you to rise again.

03:53 - And please stay standing for the presentation

03:56 - of our colors after the flag is up here.

03:59 - We will recite the Pledge of Allegiance,

04:02 - and then we will hear the national anthem by Abby Keffer.

04:07 - So at this point, I'd like to ask the American Legion.

04:11 - Legion Honor Guard to please present the colors.

04:15 - Would you please rise?

04:50 - For us. Oh.

05:04 - Everyone, please.

05:05 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

05:10 - And to the Republic for which it stands.

05:13 - One nation under God, indivisible,

05:17 - with liberty and justice for all.

05:32 - And now for.

05:36 - Oh! Say,

05:38 - can you see by the door.

05:45 - And early light.

05:49 - What so proudly we hailed.

05:55 - At the twilight's last gleaming.

06:01 - Whose broad stripes and bright stars.

06:07 - Through the perilous US fight.

06:13 - Over the ramparts we watched.

06:18 - Were so gallantly streaming.

06:24 - And the rockets

06:27 - red glare, the bombs

06:31 - bursting in air.

06:36 - Gave proof through the night

06:42 - that our flag was still there.

06:48 - Oh, say, does that star spangled

06:54 - banner yet

06:57 - wave o'er the land

07:03 - of the free.

07:06 - And the home of the

07:12 - brave.

07:23 - For. Through.

07:56 - All of.

08:00 - Thank you.

08:01 - Everyone, please be seated.

08:07 - Well, it is my privilege

08:09 - to, make a few announcements on behalf of the judiciary.

08:14 - And, I must tell you

08:17 - that we are so lucky in this state to have a chief justice

08:23 - who is, scholarly,

08:26 - compassionate, and truly caring.

08:30 - We really are the envy of most other states.

08:33 - And having Chief Justice Deborah Todd lead the Pennsylvania judiciary.

08:37 - So, everyone, let's welcome Chief Justice Deborah

08:40 - Todd.

08:47 - Now, secondly,

08:49 - we need to thank the Pennsylvania electorate because the

08:54 - they make the right decision last year in keeping our Supreme Court

08:58 - intact. Yes.

09:03 - And the Superior Court welcomes.

09:05 - Justice Christine Donoghue and Justice David Weck.

09:15 - I'd like to now introduce,

09:17 - our new judges colleagues on the Superior Court,

09:21 - some of whom traveled all the way across the state to join us today.

09:26 - To show you our pride in your, election.

09:29 - Please hold your applause.

09:32 - I'll announce everybody.

09:34 - Judge Mary Jane bowes.

09:36 - Judge Judith Olson.

09:37 - Judge Alice Thibeault.

09:39 - Judge Deborah.

09:40 - Councilwoman.

09:42 - Judge Mary Murray.

09:44 - Judge Maria McLaughlin.

09:46 - Judge Jill Beck and judge Tamika Lane.

09:49 - Everyone.

09:57 - With us today is the

09:59 - honorable Pam Snyder, who's going to approach the podium

10:03 - and make a few more introductions of, some dignitaries

10:07 - that also took the time to join us today.

10:11 - Good evening, everyone.

10:14 - I'm going to apologize beforehand because I have a list of dignitaries

10:18 - that are with us.

10:19 - But if I miss anyone, it's not my fault.

10:23 - Please hold your applause til the end.

10:26 - We are pleased to have all of these folks with us.

10:30 - State Democrat leader and Senator Jay Costa.

10:34 - State representative Ryan Bizzaro.

10:37 - State Representative Brian Cutler.

10:40 - Former state senator Tim Sol.

10:42 - Abi, former state rep Paul Costa, former state representative.

10:48 - Bill. Course.

10:49 - Allegheny County treasurer Erica.

10:52 - Resellers, former county commissioner John Beck, former county commissioner

10:58 - Dave Coder, former Pittsburgh Comptroller Michael Lamb,

11:03 - Washington County commissioner Larry Maggi.

11:06 - City of Washington councilman member Ken Westcott,

11:10 - mayor of Downingtown Erica Do so,

11:14 - the chair of the

11:15 - Pennsylvania Democrat Party Eugene de Pasquale.

11:19 - We have some county chairs with us,

11:22 - Washington County Chair Christina Proctor.

11:25 - Montgomery County Chair Jason Solis,

11:28 - Westmore land County chair Michelle McFall.

11:32 - Greene County chair Melody Hersey

11:34 - and Lawrence County chair Tim Buck.

11:37 - And we'd also like to recognize any labor leaders in the room.

11:40 - So if we could please give all of those folks a round of applause.

11:50 - It is an honor to stand here today for an occasion

11:54 - that is both professional and deeply personal.

11:58 - The installation of my dear friend, the Honorable

12:01 - Brandon Newman, to the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

12:05 - I had the privilege of serving with Brandon in the Pennsylvania.

12:08 - House of Representatives, where I witnessed every day.

12:12 - The qualities that make him extraordinary.

12:15 - Brandon wasn't the loudest voice in the room,

12:18 - but he was always the most prepared, the most thoughtful,

12:22 - and the most profoundly committed to the people he served.

12:26 - He brought a seriousness of purpose rooted in something rare in public life.

12:31 - Humility.

12:33 - He never sought the spotlight.

12:35 - He sought solutions.

12:37 - He never chased credit.

12:38 - He chased what was right.

12:41 - When Brandon left the house to serve as a judge on the Washington.

12:44 - County Court of Common Pleas, none of us were surprised.

12:48 - It was a natural next step for someone whose integrity,

12:51 - fairness and empathy had always set him apart.

12:56 - On that bench, he proved again that justice is best

12:59 - delivered by a steady hand and a generous heart.

13:04 - His reputation for compassion,

13:06 - balance, and meticulous understanding of the law

13:09 - quickly became known far and beyond the county line.

13:13 - But today, it's not just about his credentials.

13:16 - Impressive as they are today is about his character.

13:21 - Brandon is the same person in chambers as he is in a committee room,

13:26 - as he is at home with his family

13:29 - and as he is among friends

13:32 - grounded, honest, loyal,

13:36 - and unwavering in his belief that the law should serve people,

13:41 - not intimidate them, not divide them, but serve them.

13:46 - And I can tell you from years of friendship,

13:49 - he lives those values, not just speaks them.

13:52 - I have watched him show up for people in quiet moments,

13:56 - in difficult moments, in moments when no one was watching.

14:01 - That is who Brandon is, and that is the kind of person

14:04 - we want on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

14:08 - So today we are not just installing a judge.

14:11 - We are elevating someone who has earned our trust

14:15 - or respect and our confidence

14:18 - not with ambition, but with devotion,

14:21 - not with ego, but with service.

14:24 - And yes, he still manages to keep a sense of humor through it all.

14:29 - Believe me, usually dry, always well timed,

14:35 - and often just when it's needed most.

14:38 - The ability to balance seriousness with humanity

14:41 - is part of what makes him such an exceptional judge today.

14:45 - Affirms what so many of us have always known.

14:48 - The Brandon Newman belongs exactly where he is

14:52 - serving with honor, humility, and heart.

14:55 - When Brandon was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas,

14:59 - the headline in the local paper the next day read, a man of the people.

15:04 - And I couldn't agree more.

15:06 - Brandon, I am so proud and happy for you and so honored to call you my friend.

15:13 - I love you even though I always tell you you're the son I never wanted.

15:16 - I love you.

15:28 - Well,

15:28 - as Judge Newman found out, one of the more difficult parts

15:32 - of your installation ceremony is limiting the number of speakers.

15:36 - Because there's so many friends

15:38 - and supporters out there that you would like to call upon.

15:42 - And when we first started to organize this, Judge Newman asked me,

15:45 - you know, I have 37 speakers.

15:48 - And I told him, try to limit it to three.

15:50 - Wasn't that a good idea?

15:52 - So the first speaker we're going to hear from tonight

15:55 - is attorney Robert Pierce.

16:07 - I first met

16:08 - Brandon when he was finishing his third year law school,

16:12 - and the great university and great law school of Duquesne.

16:16 - And, you interviewed him for a job,

16:19 - and, I found a lot about him in a few minutes.

16:23 - You could tell he was something special.

16:25 - Not just because he was way high in the

16:28 - in the class ranking and because he was a former past

16:30 - student president, but he had a presence about him.

16:32 - He was a people person.

16:34 - He was somebody that we could respect immediately,

16:37 - somebody you would want to hire.

16:39 - And we hired him. I made that decision to hire.

16:41 - I made him an offer that day so no one else could take him away from us.

16:45 - And he went at our law firm, and he went as you can.

16:49 - As you saw in the introduction, he started trying cases in his first year

16:52 - at a law school, and he was a superstar and going to be there, as we all expected.

16:58 - But about a year later,

17:00 - Brandon came to me and said, Bob, I love this firm.

17:03 - I want to be part of it.

17:04 - I want to stay part of it.

17:06 - But I've always had an interest in public service.

17:10 - I want to run for the House of Representatives,

17:12 - but I want to stay with the firm.

17:13 - I want to be part of the firm. I want to be part of what I'm doing.

17:16 - But I'm hoping that you will support me because I think I can do both.

17:20 - But I want to.

17:21 - This is something I feel strongly about

17:25 - and,

17:27 - I've spent some time in politics

17:29 - and government myself and,

17:32 - why I left it thinking that one of the problems we have and still have

17:36 - today is we have too many mediocre people in government.

17:39 - The best and the brightest go to law firms, go to corporations, start

17:44 - their businesses, make a lot of money, and they stay away from government.

17:48 - They stay away from politics.

17:50 - I said, Brandom, we're happy to help you.

17:52 - We need people like you.

17:53 - The state needs more like you.

17:56 - And he was on his way.

17:58 - And by the way, just to prove that this guy does everything right, he married well,

18:04 - he marry

18:05 - somebody that puts up with the aggravation of running for election

18:08 - and being away from home, and all the things that politicians have to pay for.

18:13 - And he was, as we all know, he was a big success in Harrisburg

18:18 - and the Commonwealth and now was a superior court

18:20 - of Pennsylvania.

18:23 - You may not know this,

18:24 - but I'm 110 years old.

18:28 - I look back,

18:29 - I'm entitled not to look back on my successes and failures,

18:34 - and I'd rather look at my successes.

18:37 - And I can't think of anything I did that makes me more proud

18:41 - and feel good about myself is the role I had in introducing

18:45 - Brendan Newman to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

18:49 - Thank you.

18:59 - We will now hear from the Honorable

19:01 - Ryan Pizarro, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

19:12 - Thank you.

19:12 - What an honor to be here tonight.

19:14 - Good evening everyone.

19:15 - Members of the Bench Bar, honored guests, family, friends

19:19 - and anyone who is here because Brennan shamelessly texted.

19:22 - It would mean a lot if you came.

19:24 - Which with Brendan, we know is legally binding.

19:27 - Welcome to the PCN

19:29 - roast of Judge Brandon Newman.

19:32 - Now, I've been given strict instructions to keep it light,

19:35 - and to two minutes or less will come up and tackle me on the stage.

19:38 - So I'm going to abide by those guidelines that she has given me tonight.

19:42 - We're here to install my good friend, Judge Brandon Newman to the Pennsylvania.

19:46 - Superior Court, which is a tremendous honor and a serious responsibility.

19:52 - I have had the privilege of knowing Brennan for a long time.

19:54 - We served together in the legislature, and he was one of the very first members

19:58 - I met, quickly becoming a good friend and one of my best friends.

20:03 - After he left.

20:05 - And I can say this with confidence

20:07 - he has been the older brother I never had or wanted.

20:12 - The kind

20:13 - who offers guidance, wisdom, mentors hip

20:17 - while ruthlessly.

20:19 - And ladies and gentlemen, I mean ruthlessly busting my chops

20:22 - at the same time.

20:24 - And somehow he makes you better for it.

20:27 - But that's Brandon.

20:28 - He's tough, he's fair, he's disciplined,

20:31 - and Brandon is always prepared.

20:34 - He holds people of high standards, starting with himself.

20:37 - And if you fall a little short, he will absolutely let you know.

20:41 - Politely, thoughtfully, with that grin

20:45 - and just enough sarcasm to make sure the lesson sticks.

20:49 - That combination is exactly what he belongs on the Superior Court.

20:53 - Brennan understands that law is a serious business.

20:56 - He approaches it with discipline, integrity, and unwavering respect

21:00 - for precedent.

21:02 - But he also understands that judges serve people and that justice

21:05 - requires empathy, patience and perspective to Brandon's family.

21:10 - Thank you.

21:11 - Thank you for sharing him with the people of Pennsylvania.

21:13 - Your support, sacrifice, and encouragement have helped make this moment possible.

21:18 - Today is just as much a reflection of your commitment as it is to his.

21:23 - Carrie. Mrs.

21:24 - Newman, you all are saints.

21:26 - Both of you.

21:29 - To my brother from another.

21:30 - Brandon.

21:30 - Congratulations on this well-earned moment.

21:33 - You bring intelligence, fairness, humility.

21:35 - And yes, that big brother energy to the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

21:39 - Our Commonwealth is fortunate to have you.

21:42 - And I'm grateful to call you a mentor, a friend,

21:45 - and someone who will absolutely enjoy reminding me.

21:47 - He's now an appellate court judge.

21:50 - Congratulations, Judge Newman.

21:52 - I am proud of you, incredibly proud of you, and wish you

21:55 - all the best as you begin this important chapter of service.

21:59 - Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

22:10 - Our our last speaker is attorney Joseph Messer.

22:13 - Attorney. Mr..

22:23 - Well, good evening everyone.

22:26 - I'm Joe messer.

22:27 - I'm a Philadelphia trial lawyer, and I'm an Eagles fan.

22:31 - For those of you who don't know me,

22:35 - I must say that I was honored

22:39 - when I was asked to speak at Judge Newman's swearing in.

22:43 - Even more so when I learned that I was the only speaker from Philly.

22:49 - I understand for some folks

22:50 - from the West, including many of my extended family,

22:55 - that my hometown is something of an anomaly

22:58 - and sometimes gets a bad rap.

23:03 - What many of you don't know,

23:04 - however, is that my mother is from Canonsburg,

23:07 - though she, like Brandon, thankfully lost the Washington.

23:12 - County pronunciation.

23:16 - I first met Brandon

23:18 - about 15 years ago when he was a new representative

23:23 - and eager, fresh face,

23:26 - dynamic voice whose mission was to advance the interests

23:30 - of the citizens of his district and of the Commonwealth.

23:35 - Over the next six years, I would run into Brandon occasionally

23:39 - at an event in Philly or on a trip to Harrisburg,

23:44 - while Brandon was a valued member of the House.

23:47 - He had a calling to the judiciary, justice

23:51 - and doing the right thing.

23:55 - Always seemed to be

23:57 - at the forefront of Brandon's ideals,

24:00 - though perhaps some frustration over difficulty

24:04 - in actually getting positive change accomplished in Harrisburg,

24:10 - at the time, may have played a role.

24:13 - Brandon then went on, as you know, for the next seven years,

24:16 - to distinguish himself as a judge in Washington County.

24:21 - I didn't see him much during that time,

24:23 - and he probably won't remember this.

24:28 - During

24:29 - the time that he was a judge in Washington County,

24:32 - I didn't have the opportunity to appear before him.

24:35 - But I did run into Brandon

24:38 - at a Cecil Township Fall festival a few years

24:42 - after he took the bench while I was in Canonsburg visiting family.

24:46 - While I was very happy to see Brandon, I hadn't seen him in a while.

24:49 - I must admit, my daughter

24:51 - Nola was more interested in the animals in the petting zoo than meeting Brandon.

24:56 - Which brings us to today.

24:59 - When Brandon first announced his run for the Superior Court.

25:03 - I thought it was a wonderful idea.

25:06 - Though I never had the privilege to appear before him as a judge.

25:11 - I know Brandon as fair,

25:14 - even tempered, practical and intelligent.

25:19 - I also know him to be charming, charismatic,

25:22 - engaging, and thoughtful.

25:26 - Brandon is likewise someone who is more than willing to work

25:30 - hard for what he believes in.

25:33 - So in addition to being a great judge, which you already was,

25:36 - I knew Brandon with someone who would be a terrific candidate.

25:43 - And an outstanding

25:45 - candidate for his first statewide election.

25:48 - With those innate qualities as a judge and a candidate,

25:53 - I was happy to take the occasional late night

25:56 - and weekend calls about the campaign, both good and bad.

26:02 - As the race unfolded,

26:04 - there were a

26:05 - few times when Brandon expressed concerns

26:08 - about the election or doubts about what might happen.

26:12 - My confidence, however, never wavered,

26:15 - and Brandon proved me right.

26:18 - He won the election by 500,000 votes,

26:23 - and this guy from Washington County,

26:26 - Washington County, won my hometown, Philadelphia

26:29 - by more than 250,000 votes.

26:32 - In fact, he did better in Philadelphia with 85% of the vote than he did

26:38 - in Allegheny County with 67%,

26:41 - or Washington County with 52% of the vote.

26:45 - Which wasn't surprising to me.

26:49 - Now, Brandon

26:50 - believes in fairness and individual rights.

26:54 - He will continue to protect the rights of Pennsylvania's citizens,

26:58 - as he demonstrated in the Washington.

27:01 - County Board of Elections case,

27:04 - where he protected the rights of Pennsylvania voters,

27:08 - ruling that election officials must notify voters

27:12 - who made fatal errors filling out their Mail-In ballots

27:15 - and give them the opportunity to cure those mistakes

27:19 - so that their vote was counted

27:22 - so that their voice is heard.

27:26 - Brandon's ruling was

27:27 - upheld by our Supreme Court

27:30 - because of what I know about Brandon as a legislator.

27:34 - What I've heard and read of him as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas

27:39 - and what I know of him as a person,

27:42 - I'm certain that Brandon will be a welcome and distinguished colleague

27:46 - on our esteemed Superior Court.

27:50 - So, Brandon.

27:53 - Having been

27:54 - to the cattle auction in 84 Pennsylvania

27:58 - with my uncle Bob when I was a kid,

28:01 - I may in fact be the only person

28:06 - from Philly who's been to

28:08 - and knows where you're from and where your hometown is.

28:12 - I'm pretty sure there were more people that grew up on my block

28:16 - as a kid in Philly than the population

28:20 - of 84 Pennsylvania.

28:23 - You've come a long way from that small town.

28:26 - Congratulations and best

28:29 - of luck on ascending to the Superior Court.

28:33 - I look forward to appearing before you and to your continued,

28:37 - distinguished career and dedication

28:41 - to the people of Pennsylvania.

28:51 - And now,

28:52 - speaking on behalf of the Pennsylvania judiciary is,

28:56 - the Honorable Gary Gilman, a retired judge of the Court of Common Pleas.

29:00 - Judge Gilman.

29:07 - May it please the court.

29:10 - Good evening everybody.

29:12 - It's certainly an honor to be asked to speak

29:15 - at Brandon Newman's installation ceremony.

29:19 - The classic children's book, The Little Engine That Could

29:23 - by Whitey Piper, is a story about

29:27 - a small blue engine that successfully pulls a train full of toys

29:31 - over a mountain by repeating the mantra,

29:34 - I think I can, I think I can.

29:38 - It is a beloved tale of determination,

29:41 - optimism and perseverance, teaching children

29:46 - about the power of positive thinking to overcome challenges.

29:51 - The plot concerns a train carrying toys

29:55 - that breaks down just before it approaches the mountain.

29:59 - Larger, more

30:00 - important engines refuse to help,

30:03 - but a small engine agrees to try, challenging and chugging its way

30:08 - up the hill while encouragingly chanting, I think I can, I think I can.

30:13 - The story is a powerful metaphor for self-belief

30:18 - and the idea that was determined with determination,

30:22 - even seemingly impossible, that tasks can be accomplished.

30:27 - So you might be thinking and saying to yourself,

30:31 - what does the little engine that could have to do with spray and Newman?

30:35 - And that's a fair question to ask, because Brandon Newman

30:39 - has never been referred to as little.

30:42 - He literally has the broadest shoulders.

30:45 - Any of us know of.

30:48 - Well, the analogy here is that political

30:50 - pundits said that for a Democrat to win statewide election,

30:56 - he or she had to be from Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.

31:01 - They could certainly

31:02 - point to history, after all, the facts bear that

31:06 - no judicial candidate from Washington County has ever won an appellate election.

31:12 - The last time even any candidate

31:14 - from Washington County won a statewide election was 74 years ago,

31:19 - when former Governor Ed Martin was reelected to the United States.

31:22 - Senate for a second term in 1952.

31:27 - But with patience.

31:32 - Perseverance and determination.

31:34 - Judge Newman won.

31:36 - Like the little engine that could, Judge Newman was not going to have

31:40 - those who defined the conventional wisdom

31:43 - make a determination of what he could accomplish

31:48 - when finding himself with a seemingly impossible task.

31:51 - He fought. Pardon me.

31:53 - He found the right track to success.

31:57 - Brandon patiently analyzed

31:59 - the right time to run and move forward.

32:02 - With all determination and all his resourcefulness.

32:06 - Further, and according to my research,

32:10 - at the age of

32:10 - 44, he did as the youngest person elected to the Superior Court.

32:14 - I hope I was right about that.

32:18 - I first met Brandon Newman in 2010,

32:22 - when he first ran for the Pennsylvania House.

32:25 - One day during the campaign season,

32:28 - he rang my mother in law's doorbell to introduce himself.

32:32 - My mother in law was so impressed with Brandon that she immediately called

32:36 - my wife and myself to tell us about this wonderful young man that she had just met.

32:42 - Because my mother in law was a great judge of people's character,

32:48 - I thought it would be a good idea for my teenage son and myself

32:51 - to offer our services to help Brandon during his first campaign.

32:55 - My son was very interested in politics at the time and still is.

32:59 - And I wanted an ambitious person of character representing me in Harrisburg.

33:05 - Of course,

33:06 - as we all know, Brandon was successful in his campaign

33:10 - as well as for an additional three consecutive terms.

33:14 - He then decided to run for the Court

33:16 - of Common Pleas in Washington County in 2017.

33:20 - Brandon won both nominations.

33:22 - Democrat nomination and the Republican nomination,

33:26 - which is, I think, a true testament

33:29 - to his personality and character.

33:32 - For they are not defined by his political party or associations.

33:37 - When Judge Newman joined the bench,

33:39 - he was a terrific colleague to me, and the entire court.

33:44 - My wife, Kathy Emery, and I served as president judges of the Court of Common.

33:48 - Pleas of Washington County for a total of seven and a half years.

33:52 - And judge Newman accepted every assignment without question,

33:57 - hesitation, or reservation,

34:01 - and with the same respect and determination as exemplified

34:04 - by the Little Engine that could.

34:06 - He never said,

34:07 - no, I never said I'm too busy.

34:10 - A more junior judge should be doing that work,

34:14 - or I don't have experience in this field of law.

34:17 - For example, in the middle of the 2023 term Veterans Treatment court

34:23 - needed to be reassigned due to some unexpected reasons.

34:27 - The docket was given to Judge Newman, and he did not push back,

34:31 - despite the fact that he was not the most junior judge.

34:35 - He was not a veteran and had no experience in counseling or social work.

34:40 - Rather, he embraced the assignment

34:43 - and put his heart and his head into it.

34:47 - Since treatment court involves motivating and encouraging participants,

34:52 - Judge Newman thought it important that the treatment court defendants

34:55 - needed to see that their judge was an understanding person

34:59 - with whom they could easily and openly communicate.

35:03 - So he decided to take them fishing on a Saturday to build their trust.

35:07 - Despite the fact that he is a very busy and devoted father

35:11 - to four very young and lively children

35:15 - Josie, Abe, Claire and Violet,

35:19 - the Superior Court is gaining an insightful,

35:23 - valued and experienced jurist,

35:26 - one that Washington County can proudly say is theirs

35:30 - and will happily share with the entire state.

35:34 - Congratulations to my dear friend.

35:37 - Washington County hopes you have a splendid career on the Superior Court,

35:41 - and any other career or court you may pursue.

35:56 - Thank you judge.

35:57 - And most of you couldn't see this.

35:59 - We have to thank the judge when he said the name of Judge Newman's children.

36:03 - You should have seen the smile on the four of their faces.

36:06 - It was wonderful.

36:07 - Before we get into the actual installation

36:11 - of Judge Newman, it's very important to the members of the superior Court

36:15 - and the justice from the Supreme Court to acknowledge,

36:19 - the members of our sister court, that the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania,

36:24 - who took time from their busy schedules to join us today,

36:27 - as well as the members of the trial court, all of us, thank you very much.

36:38 - Well,

36:38 - in just a few moments, we're going to ask our new judge to approach

36:43 - with, to actually stand up this know, approaching the bench

36:46 - here to actually, stand up with his family

36:49 - for the actual administration of the oath before that.

36:53 - I'm going to turn it over to Chief Justice Todd for her remarks,

36:58 - and then she'll immediately go into the oath of office.

37:01 - Chief,

37:02 - let's give you the mic.

37:09 - Thank you.

37:09 - President.

37:10 - Judge emeritus.

37:11 - Panela.

37:14 - Judge Brandon Newman,

37:17 - congratulations.

37:18 - I'm so happy for you.

37:21 - And I can't tell you with,

37:23 - my colleagues, justice Donohue

37:27 - and Justice Wecht, how thrilled we are to have you join

37:31 - our Superior Court and indeed, our appellate court family.

37:35 - We welcome your beautiful family,

37:40 - your your wife, Carrie, your son Abe,

37:43 - your daughters, Josie, Claire and Violet.

37:49 - Could you all wave the children?

37:53 - What a beautiful family.

37:58 - We're so happy that you're here

38:01 - to to see your father sworn

38:04 - in today as a Superior court judge.

38:07 - This is a really big deal.

38:10 - And, you will always remember being here.

38:15 - And I know your parents are just so thankful to have you here

38:19 - supporting him on this important day.

38:24 - Justice Donohue, justice Wecht

38:27 - and I served on the Superior Court,

38:30 - so we know firsthand what a wonderful job it is.

38:35 - And, I can tell you, Judge Newman,

38:38 - you are going to love the Superior Court.

38:42 - I know you loved serving on the Washington County Court of Common Pleas,

38:47 - and you did such a brilliant job there.

38:50 - But you are going to love the Superior Court.

38:54 - When you attend our appellate court conference,

38:59 - which we have every summer, you will have the opportunity

39:03 - to truly get to know not only your colleagues on Superior Court,

39:07 - but your colleagues on the Commonwealth Court and on our Supreme Court.

39:12 - And you'll understand that when I say we have an appellate court family,

39:18 - I mean that you're going to feel very welcome.

39:21 - And we're going to be very happy to have you.

39:25 - I wanted to personally thank you for the work you did as a Common.

39:29 - Pleas judge, of course, as a legislator as well.

39:34 - But as a common Pleas judge, you not only heard cases

39:39 - as we heard from Judge Gilman, you took on the leadership of the veterans Court.

39:45 - And, our Supreme Court is very supportive of all of our treatment courts.

39:51 - And I am particular, very devoted to our state's veterans courts.

39:57 - And, I know the great job that you did.

40:01 - And, I want you to know personally how much I appreciate

40:05 - your support of Pennsylvania's veterans.

40:08 - And as a trial lawyer, your support

40:11 - and advocacy for Pennsylvania's elders.

40:14 - Thank you for that.

40:23 - And now,

40:24 - I believe the time has come

40:27 - for you to be officially sworn in

40:30 - as a judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

40:34 - And I would like to ask you and your family to come forward.

40:39 - I think if we stand on this riser, people will be able to see you.

40:44 - Take the oath.

41:07 - Yes. Okay.

41:12 - All right, kids, we got it together.

41:16 - Here.

41:17 - You can all be seated.

41:21 - Violet, you're still in the show.

41:24 - Honey.

41:26 - And Josie

41:29 - and I, you're already.

41:31 - This is the big moment. Okay.

41:34 - Can I ask you to hold the Bible up high?

41:38 - So your dad has his hand on the Bible

41:40 - and will raise his right hand

41:43 - and repeat after me?

41:46 - I, Brenda Newman, I, Brandon Newman,

41:48 - do solemnly swear to solemnly swear that I will support,

41:52 - obey, and defend, and I will support, obey, and defend

41:55 - the Constitution of the United States Constitution of the United States

42:00 - and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, the Constitution, this Commonwealth,

42:04 - and that I will discharge the duties of my office.

42:07 - I will that I will discharge the duties of my office

42:10 - as judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, as judge

42:14 - of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, with fidelity, with fidelity.

42:18 - So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations.

43:00 - Yes. Thank you.

43:23 - General.

43:35 - Everyone, please be seated.

43:39 - And of course, we would all like to thank the judge's wife, Carrie Newman,

43:42 - for doing a wonderful job of roping the judge.

43:53 - To. Good job.

43:56 - Thank you.

44:17 - And now it's only right

44:18 - that we give our new judge the right of rebuttal.

44:21 - So he's going to make a few a few comments.

44:24 - And if I go to the podium, go right ahead.

44:39 - Good evening, everyone.

44:40 - Thank you very much for being here and attending this.

44:45 - This is been a

44:49 - really crazy year.

44:50 - 2025 was just a crazy year.

44:53 - And when you think about

44:56 - everything that has gone on in my life,

44:58 - you start to put the puzzle together.

45:02 - And first, I just want to thank everyone who is part of the program today.

45:07 - Abigail, you did a great job.

45:08 - Abigail is from my Alma mater, Canon-McMillan High School.

45:11 - So she came up.

45:13 - And her family's here to.

45:15 - So I was proud to, to have someone from my Alma mater sing.

45:19 - And we have Kaysville, the American Legion, the honor guard.

45:24 - They're from Washington County as well.

45:26 - So I was very proud to have Washington County honor guard to come up

45:29 - and, do the presentation of the flag.

45:33 - So thank you very much for that.

45:35 - Truly appreciate, the speakers today.

45:39 - Joe, I'm sorry that you're an Eagles fan.

45:43 - It is nice

45:46 - that the Steelers made it to the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.

45:50 - But they are there now, and we will root for an all Pennsylvania.

45:54 - Super Bowl come in February.

45:59 - And it kind of hurts my heart

46:02 - that your family's from Washington County and you root for the Eagles.

46:07 - It does.

46:08 - To Bob Pierce.

46:10 - Mr. Pierce, I got introduced to Mr. Pierce.

46:14 - He is truly the main reason.

46:17 - One of the main reasons I'm standing here today.

46:20 - Yes.

46:21 - I went and asked him if I could run for the state representative and still

46:25 - be employed.

46:27 - A lot of it was because I had a lot of student loans

46:29 - that I had to repay, and I needed to work while I was running for office.

46:35 - And just the mentors hip, his interest in in politics.

46:40 - But more so his interest in doing the right things.

46:43 - The people at the firm that were my mentors, Bob Daly and Peter here.

46:48 - People that I worked with, like Scott Simon, are here.

46:50 - I truly appreciate every all the opportunities

46:54 - that Robert Pierce and associates gave me as an attorney

46:57 - and as a person so that I could remain in Washington County,

47:01 - run for a district where I grew up and I live.

47:05 - And I just appreciate everything if you don't for me, Bob.

47:08 - So thank you, for being part of my life.

47:11 - You're a big part of my life, so I truly appreciate that.

47:14 - Gary Gilman, judge Gilman,

47:18 - and to all of my Washington County judges, whenever you're a county trial judge,

47:23 - you deal with heavy issues,

47:25 - and there's really no one to talk to about these issues.

47:30 - Sometimes you're just not allowed to talk about them.

47:32 - And other times you just don't feel comfortable talking about them.

47:36 - So in the things that I've learned, Judge Lucas is here.

47:41 - Judge Pettit is here.

47:42 - My former president.

47:44 - Judge. Judge Emery is here.

47:46 - My former president and judge.

47:48 - Judge of the South was here.

47:49 - And Judge Gilman, being one of my former president judges,

47:53 - the things that you've taught me is really what prepared me for me

47:58 - to even be able to think about running for something like the Superior Court.

48:02 - So the practitioners from Washington County

48:05 - are the ones that travel the Washington County practice law to the judges

48:09 - that, my colleagues that I, served with.

48:12 - I truly appreciate the work that you did with me and everything.

48:18 - Mike Lucas is smiling because I don't.

48:19 - I'm not going to call him any more questions

48:22 - because he's the living encyclopedia of our rules.

48:25 - And like, hey, what role is this in here?

48:27 - Get it off the top of his head.

48:29 - So thank you for the good times that we had.

48:31 - Being a true colleague and listening when there were heavy moments

48:35 - that there was really no one else to talk to.

48:37 - So thank you for being part of my life and my journey

48:41 - as I went, to where I am today.

48:45 - And this really all my interest in public service started in the early 2000s.

48:50 - When I originally interned for then State Representative Tim Salovey.

48:55 - And then eventually that's the same seat that I ran for in 2010.

49:00 - And so the things that I learned from representative by, John, Bhavik

49:06 - people in his office like Pat, Millie, auto, Carla Mast and Larry Pansino.

49:12 - They taught me what it was public service is all about.

49:15 - It's all about people.

49:17 - And that is what really sparked my interest.

49:20 - And that's one of the reasons that I went to law school.

49:23 - And, I can give my mom credit because she's the one that told me

49:26 - to apply for an internship with Representative Solomon.

49:30 - I was like, I don't know, I just kind of want to be a valet driver

49:33 - and a banquet server and, but it all worked out.

49:38 - So thank you to my family in Washington County.

49:42 - Consider my family in Washington County that brought public service to my life.

49:47 - As everyone sitting up here knows

49:51 - and the county judges know and anybody's run for elected office.

49:55 - The hardest.

49:57 - It's hardest on your family.

49:58 - There's no doubt about it.

50:00 - I'm a way.

50:02 - Whenever I was in the House of Representatives, I was.

50:04 - Jose was born October 6th.

50:08 - I was going to dinner.

50:09 - We were in the middle of a, a budget

50:13 - impasse, and I got the call,

50:16 - and I was like, Thank God they're going to do a tax vote tomorrow.

50:19 - I got to go home.

50:21 - To make sure I'm there. When Jose was born.

50:25 - So the commitment and then I was gone.

50:26 - For the first two and a half months, I was gone for like 40 days

50:30 - because we had the budget impasse.

50:32 - And, so the commitment to my family, my parents are here, Jim and Susan are here.

50:38 - My sisters are here.

50:39 - Kristen and Erin.

50:41 - Kristen's husband is here.

50:44 - Scotty, Bob, my nephew, Victoria, my niece.

50:47 - They're all here.

50:48 - My brother's not here, but he can't vote for me anyway

50:51 - because he lives in Missouri, so I wasn't really worried about him. But

50:56 - but he.

50:56 - I don't know if he'd vote for me anyway, so.

51:01 - But we we do miss him.

51:03 - I wish that my brother could have made it out,

51:05 - but he wasn't able to make it today.

51:07 - So thank you to my family.

51:09 - To my in-laws are here.

51:11 - Ken and Sherry Sackler. Thank you for being here.

51:14 - One of my most important in

51:16 - is my brother in law and I were great friends in law school.

51:19 - He made a mistake.

51:22 - He introduced me to his younger sister.

51:25 - And, yes, at family functions, I make him

51:27 - call me Your Honor. So,

51:33 - So thank you, Tim,

51:34 - for really, providing or introducing me to Carrie.

51:39 - But it's a great family commitment

51:42 - that they're all here to see this moment today.

51:46 - To my wife, Carrie.

51:48 - Look, I 20, 24 came around.

51:51 - It was like December.

51:52 - I'm like, Carrie, I think I'm going to run for the Superior Court.

51:55 - And she kind of looked at me at that time, nine,

51:59 - six, five and two year old

52:02 - and said, you're crazy.

52:07 - After we worked it out and I told her what the plan was.

52:11 - She warmed up to it a little bit.

52:13 - And it it I couldn't have done any of this without you.

52:19 - I truly appreciate your commitment to me.

52:21 - Our four kids,

52:23 - and they're being very well-behaved right now, so I'm happy about that.

52:27 - But thank you for everything supporting me in everything I do.

52:37 - Two to my friends in the House of Representatives

52:41 - that are here and not here. There's some that couldn't make it there.

52:44 - A lot of them have texted me.

52:45 - But the nice thing about being in the House of Representatives,

52:48 - especially at a young age, is people want to help you.

52:53 - And I listen to that help.

52:55 - Some of it wasn't always good, but I listen.

52:59 - And so, having Pam Snyder, who came in,

53:03 - the, term after me,

53:06 - I would introduce her, I would introduce myself as her grandson.

53:09 - And pretended like I wasn't a house member, and she didn't really like that.

53:14 - And but the the

53:18 - the commitment to public service

53:21 - that people like Pam Snyder and Ryan Bizzaro, my wild man.

53:25 - Bill courts, is here.

53:27 - My former colleague, Eugene DePasquale is here.

53:31 - There may be some others that are missing.

53:33 - And then in addition to that,

53:35 - when I

53:36 - first got elected in 202011, I got sworn in.

53:41 - There were so many people from the other side of the aisle.

53:43 - It wasn't the, you know, it was a one sided year, that they had to move

53:49 - some of the Republicans over to the Democrat side.

53:52 - And one of the best things that happened is I had Bryan, Cutler

53:55 - and Ryan all sit in front of me.

53:57 - Now there.

53:59 - I don't necessarily agree with them all the time.

54:02 - Phil, philosophically.

54:04 - But Bryan Cutler is here, former speaker of the House,

54:06 - Republican speaker of the House.

54:07 - I remember being going to his, summer picnic.

54:13 - I said, you know what?

54:14 - I'll go out to Lancaster County, which I first used to call it Lancaster.

54:18 - And then I got crucified.

54:20 - So I went out to Lancaster County. We had.

54:23 - I'm sitting across from his, daughter, I think it was Cheyenne.

54:27 - She probably had to be eight at the time.

54:29 - And she looks at me and she goes, you're a Democrat.

54:34 - And I said, well,

54:37 - I think I'm going to leave.

54:40 - No, but, reaching

54:42 - across the aisle not only to get legislation passing,

54:47 - to get laws passed, but just being nice and courteous.

54:51 - And I consider anybody who was in the House of representative

54:54 - or any judge, whatever party they are, I consider you a colleague,

54:58 - even though we might not always agree with each other,

55:00 - doesn't mean we're not colleagues.

55:02 - And so I appreciate Brian coming from Lancaster County

55:07 - all the way to, here in Allegheny County.

55:10 - To see me get sworn in.

55:12 - But my good friends like Joanna.

55:14 - McClinton and Matt Bradford and the ones that are still there.

55:18 - They're called to public service, and all their calls are public service

55:22 - are evident.

55:23 - And so I appreciate their friendship and I appreciate their guidance.

55:27 - The things that I learned, from them has been invaluable, in my life.

55:32 - And realizing that that people do always come first.

55:36 - When I was in law school, we have, President Gormley is here today,

55:41 - and we have Dean Barton here from the, Kline School of Law at Duquesne.

55:46 - Your commitment to public service is evident.

55:50 - Who here

55:51 - who has a robe on or doesn't have a robe on is a Duquesne grant.

55:57 - So. When

56:01 - when you look at the the education you provide is second to none.

56:04 - The things that you're doing there.

56:06 - Dean Borden, or you're just amazing to elevate our school.

56:10 - President Gormley, the things that you've done, for

56:14 - the university has been great.

56:16 - The it's more than just an education.

56:19 - There it is an introduction to what you want to do.

56:23 - Why you want to do it.

56:25 - Who are you doing it for?

56:26 - And so thank you for providing me with that foundation

56:30 - that really, invited you to go to public service.

56:34 - It's not all like that at every law school.

56:36 - It's usually an invitation to go make money.

56:39 - But you have provide an opportunity for public service.

56:42 - So thank you to Duquesne for the opportunities, that you've given me.

56:47 - I truly appreciate it.

56:50 - So then you get to 20, 25.

56:54 - My campaign staff is here today.

56:57 - They are phenomenal.

57:00 - We had a really not just a good cycle to run in.

57:04 - I was very fortunate to have a staff that kept me on track.

57:07 - We have Celeste and Ben and Laura and Shane are all here today.

57:13 - Thank you for providing me.

57:22 - Thank you for keeping me on track.

57:24 - I see Fiona there.

57:25 - Thank you for the work and consulting that you did for me.

57:30 - Without you, I wouldn't have been able to keep things straight.

57:33 - Tommy McDonald. Oh. There's Tommy.

57:36 - Tommy McDonald is here.

57:38 - Truly appreciate, him and,

57:42 - you know, Tommy got a lot of energy,

57:46 - and, we had some fun.

57:48 - But filming.

57:49 - Imagine a film crew come into your house at 8 a.m.

57:52 - in the morning with four kids, and they have you tell them that they have to smile.

57:58 - So it was, a great

58:02 - campaign team.

58:03 - So thank you for everything you have done for me to make this moment,

58:07 - special and for us to have a winning campaign.

58:11 - I ran around this year a lot with other appellate judges.

58:15 - I've been, fortunate now to get really

58:19 - to get to know Justice Donohue and Justice Wecht and Justice Daugherty.

58:23 - Stella Cy who?

58:25 - Let's give a round of applause to Stella. Cy.

58:26 - She just won for the Commonwealth Court.

58:30 - So thank you, Stella, for being here.

58:33 - Mike. Kojak.

58:35 - I drive him around.

58:37 - I say that his snoring used to keep me awake.

58:41 - But he he got a little nervous going 92mph down the.

58:45 - Well, strike dead from the record.

58:49 - Going down the turnpike to get to where we needed to be in a very quick fashion.

58:53 - So, thank you for that.

58:54 - And Alice Teboe, who I'm joining on the Superior Court.

58:58 - My new Superior Court colleagues, I can't thank you enough.

59:01 - The grace that you have shown me.

59:03 - The introductions that you've made to me,

59:06 - the what you've offered me and my staff.

59:09 - I truly appreciate, bringing me in and trying not to miss a beat.

59:15 - So any questions that I've ever had.

59:17 - My new colleagues.

59:18 - I appreciate everything that you have done for me so far.

59:22 - I'm bringing some staff with me.

59:24 - And they were with me. It's a court of Common pleas.

59:26 - And Amber was actually with me at the state House of Representatives,

59:30 - Amber Ross and, Sean Walters.

59:33 - And we have Christian Riera, who's a law clerk, and then we have three

59:36 - I have three new law clerks who are new to the Superior Court, the new to me.

59:41 - We have Emily, Lisa, and Sherry.

59:44 - So thank you for joining the team.

59:46 - It is going to be a really good team.

59:49 - So when you get to 2025 and you start running this campaign,

59:52 - and I already told you what Kerry said, and you heard what Pam said, is,

59:56 - you know, she's she's the same way.

59:59 - Kerry.

59:59 - 341 She I call her and she says, you're crazy.

01:00 - 03.009 What are you going to do?

01:00 - 04.910 You got four kids, you're going to run around the state.

01:00 - 06.178 You're gonna drive 60,000 miles.

01:00 - 08.013 I said, Pam, I got a plan.

01:00 - 09.448 And then I called Kevin Kinross.

01:00 - 13.176 And everybody knows Kevin Kinross delivers things very much like a gentleman.

01:00 - 16.522 But at the end of the day, his message is the same that you're

01:00 - 18.924 absolutely insane for thinking about running for this.

01:00 - 22.318 This is not like this is not going to be an easy task for you.

01:00 - 25.297 But after you explain everything, to Kevin,

01:00 - 28.300 Kevin kind of got back to me and was like, you know what?

01:00 - 31.327 I think that this could work, and it works.

01:00 - 35.541 I sometimes I still can't believe that it worked, but it worked.

01:00 - 38.568 And I truly appreciate your friendship.

01:00 - 41.938 The friendship that everyone that gave us guidance

01:00 - 44.483 and the reason that I give you

01:00 - 48.320 all of this background is whenever you start

01:00 - 51.881 thinking about a campaign message, it's like, what do you want?

01:00 - 54.917 You want it to be catch your eye.

01:00 - 57.363 There's people probably sitting in this room that had to Google.

01:00 - 59.832 What does the Pennsylvania Superior Court do?

01:00 - 00.333 Right.

01:01 - 04.527 It's not a race of high information.

01:01 - 09.232 And so we were thinking about what should we do as a campaign.

01:01 - 11.977 Well, like, we could go with let's go. Brandon.

01:01 - 13.870 But that was kind of

01:01 - 18.050 that was kind of already taken.

01:01 - 21.220 I said the merchandise should probably be 75% off.

01:01 - 24.123 That could be a good way to do this.

01:01 - 26.992 But we decided against that.

01:01 - 30.362 Tommy's laughing because he didn't agree with my my suggestion of.

01:01 - 31.331 Let's go. Brandon.

01:01 - 34.557 But then you get back to the basics

01:01 - 38.127 and you get back to what do people expect in the judge?

01:01 - 41.974 And from the top down here in Pennsylvania, we're very fortunate

01:01 - 43.709 and there's always been that way,

01:01 - 46.645 but we're very fortunate to have a bench of integrity,

01:01 - 51.083 to have a bench that believes in the Constitution and the law.

01:01 - 54.110 Their opinions are grounded, in

01:01 - 56.622 what they should be.

01:01 - 00.750 And so thank you for giving us the mark that we need to hit.

01:02 - 04.687 I'm going to read something very short.

01:02 - 07.766 I hope most of you recognize these words.

01:02 - 11.427 It starts with we, the people of the United States.

01:02 - 16.599 In order to form a more perfect union, establish justice.

01:02 - 18.545 Now we

01:02 - 22.614 all have to think and believe that each word is deliberately

01:02 - 26.109 placed in the placement, that it is in the Constitution of the United States.

01:02 - 28.487 Justice is first.

01:02 - 30.889 Justice is the first word

01:02 - 33.916 that comes after we, the people.

01:02 - 38.621 Not the first word, but the first two to get to we the People.

01:02 - 41.667 And that's important

01:02 - 44.694 because no matter what goes on

01:02 - 48.474 in politics or in DC

01:02 - 52.568 or even in Harrisburg, we fall back to justice.

01:02 - 58.174 And you need judges that I believe have different lenses.

01:02 - 01.353 The lens that I have is what I just mentioned to you.

01:03 - 05.081 Every single person that I mentioned, every single experience that I had

01:03 - 09.418 developed, the lens so that you see the law,

01:03 - 12.631 the Constitution, the way that you see it.

01:03 - 15.267 Everybody sees it a little bit differently.

01:03 - 20.439 And so when you think about how the framers did this

01:03 - 24.000 and they put justice first, and you think about

01:03 - 27.446 each case that comes before you,

01:03 - 31.240 it is truly about the individual

01:03 - 34.553 or people that are behind that case.

01:03 - 37.356 Not every case is one

01:03 - 41.083 that is going to make the news fact

01:03 - 44.754 99.9% or cases that never make the news,

01:03 - 51.527 but every case has a person or behind it.

01:03 - 58.568 And that is what all the judges that I've been working with have focused on.

01:03 - 01.713 There are cases

01:04 - 04.974 and no one wants to come to court.

01:04 - 08.187 No one wants to see a judge there

01:04 - 11.590 in front of you because they have to be.

01:04 - 12.858 They need to be.

01:04 - 16.719 You are their last outlet of justice.

01:04 - 18.330 That is it.

01:04 - 21.500 And no matter if you're going to rule for or against them,

01:04 - 25.428 no matter if they're rich or they're poor, no matter if they're represented by

01:04 - 29.098 no one or they're represent by the most expensive attorney

01:04 - 32.935 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the United States of America.

01:04 - 35.972 The Constitution and law never changes.

01:04 - 40.376 And that's the focus that this Supreme Court

01:04 - 43.555 and these appellate benches have focused on.

01:04 - 45.524 That is why I wanted to run.

01:04 - 50.653 I wanted to join the appellate bench to see what 67 counties

01:04 - 54.757 are doing across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and ensure

01:04 - 57.894 that my lens never loses focus,

01:04 - 01.130 that people are behind each case,

01:05 - 06.979 and that this ruling for or against them, they deserve a fair ruling.

01:05 - 11.607 That is fair, that is impartial, a ruling that is without fear,

01:05 - 14.810 no favor of anyone or anything.

01:05 - 18.857 And that is why we do the job.

01:05 - 21.884 So I appreciate the opportunities

01:05 - 24.897 that every single one of you have given me.

01:05 - 26.398 There's a lot of labor, folks.

01:05 - 27.866 There's a lot of trial folks.

01:05 - 30.402 There are a lot of people that have never been involved

01:05 - 33.038 in politics in their life that are in this room today, people

01:05 - 36.999 I graduated high school with, people that I'm going to meet today.

01:05 - 41.313 And all of you are important

01:05 - 46.752 to the to saving and making sure that democracy continues

01:05 - 49.812 to be with justice first,

01:05 - 53.025 because that is the way it should be.

01:05 - 58.096 And I am honored and proud to be part of this

01:05 - 01.357 and to be your next Pennsylvania Superior Court judge.

01:06 - 02.101 Thank you.

01:06 - 05.127 All right.

01:06 - 28.895 Okay.

01:06 - 31.563 We just have a few concluding remarks here.

01:06 - 35.100 I was asked, by a president judge

01:06 - 38.470 in Lazarus to extend her congratulations to you, judge.

01:06 - 40.939 She regrets very much that she couldn't be here.

01:06 - 44.076 But she also wanted me to tell you her joy in the court

01:06 - 48.380 being at full complement to 15 judges the first time in a long time.

01:06 - 50.449 So we're very happy you're on board.

01:06 - 54.720 We wish to thank our administrative staff and the security staff of both

01:06 - 59.315 the Superior Court and the Supreme Court for making today, possible for us.

01:06 - 05.087 We'd like to thank PCN for recording and televising, this, ceremony,

01:07 - 09.001 Allegheny County Sheriff's Office and the, it was the Allegheny.

01:07 - 09.768 County Sheriff's Office.

01:07 - 10.169 Oh, yes.

01:07 - 11.570 I saw the sheriff signs.

01:07 - 13.905 We thank them also very, very much.

01:07 - 16.575 Thank you, chief, for reminding me of that.

01:07 - 20.970 With that, I'm ready to call upon, Jeff Pot,

01:07 - 24.716 on behalf of the Superior Court to announce our adjournment.

01:07 - 25.740 Mr.. Bob.

01:07 - 30.356 This very

01:07 - 33.382 special session of the Superior Court now stands adjourned.

01:07 - 35.618 Okay, good.