Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decisions

Commonwealth Court issues both reported and unreported opinions. Reported opinions of the Commonwealth Court have precedential effect -- i.e. they are binding on Commonwealth Court and the parties, and are used to guide future Commonwealth Court decisions. Unreported opinions of the Commonwealth Court do not have precedential effect. The Internal Operating Procedures of Commonwealth Court prohibit citing to any unreported opinion in any opinion of the court, or in any brief or argument addressed to it, with certain limited exceptions.

See 210 Pa. Code § 67.55

All opinions of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are reported.

Commonwealth Court Decisions
Unreported 2104 CD 2011 Opinion Issued June 29, 2012 Stefano Kiniropoulos v. State Civil Service Commission (Northampton County Department of Human Services) Stefano Kiniropoulos appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the Northampton County Department of Human Services to remove him from regular County Caseworker 2 employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.	Unreported 2751 CD 2010 Opinion Issued: November 14, 2011 Peter E. Perry v. State Civil Service Commission (Department of Labor and Industry) Peter E. Perry appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the Department of Labor and Industry to remove him from regular Workers' Compensation Judge Manager employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.
Unreported 2671 CD 2010 Opinion Issued: October 28, 2011 Valerya McGriff v. State Civil Service Commission (Philadelphia County Assistance Office, Department of Public Welfare) Valerya McGriff appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the Philadelphia County Assistance Office, Department of Public Welfare to suspend her for one day from her regular Income Maintenance Caseworker employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.	Reported 643 CD 2011 Opinion Issued: October 19, 2011 Louis G. Daily v. State Civil Service Commission (Northampton County Area Agency on Aging) Louis G. Daily appealed SCSC's order sustaining his non-selection by the Northampton County Area Agency on Aging for promotion to Aging Care Management Supervisor 1 employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.
Unreported 39 CD 2011 Opinion Issued: September 12, 2011 Dennis B. Pollard v. State Civil Service Commission (Department of Labor and Industry) Dennis B. Pollard appealed SCSC's order granting the List Removal Request filed by the Department of Labor and Industry for the position of Unemployment Compensation Appeals Referee for a period of three years retroactive to November 3, 2010. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.	Unreported 1769 CD 2010 Opinion Issued: May 19, 2011 Tina M. Bennett v. State Civil Service Commission (SCI-Muncy, Department of Corrections) Tina M. Bennett appealed the SCSC's order sustaining the action of the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, Department of Corrections to remove her from regular Corrections Officer 3 employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.
Unreported 902 MD 2010 Opinion Issued: May 9, 2011 Thaddeus Frazier v. State Civil Service Commission The State Civil Service Commission filed an Application for Summary Relief seeking to have the Petition for Review filed by Thaddeus Frazier dismissed. The Court granted the Commission's Application for Summary Relief; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.	Unreported 271 CD 2010 Opinion Issued: April 14, 2011 Kathleen A. White v. State Civil Service Commission (Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole) Kathleen A. White appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole to suspend her for one day from her regular Clerk Typist 2 employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.
Unreported 1095 CD 2010 Opinion Issued: March 7, 2011 Charles Bradley v. State Civil Service Commission (SCI-Graterford, Department of Corrections) Charles Bradley appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, Department of Corrections in returning him from his probationary Corrections Community Center Director employment to his regular Corrections Activity Specialist employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.	Reported 1892 CD 2009 Opinion Issued: January 20, 2011 Sandra K. Norvell v. State Civil Service Commission (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) Sandra K. Norvell appealed SCSC's order sustaining the action of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to remove her from probationary Park Ranger 1 employment. The Court affirmed SCSC's order; to read the Commw. Court's decision, click here.
For opinions prior to 2011, use this link to Commonwealth Court, or call our office (717-783-1444) to request further assistance.
Supreme Court Decisions
120 MAP 2006 (CCT No. 568 CD 2005) Opinion Issued: December 27, 2007 PA State Corrections Officers Association v. State Civil Service Commission (Dennis N. Jenkins, Sr.) Allowance of Appeal was granted to consider whether, with respect to furlough and promotion, the Act and the CBA define and apply seniority differently, and if so, the consequence of any conflict.  The Supreme Court, by majority, reversed the Commonwealth Court's decision and reinstated the SCSC's Adjudication dated March 4, 2005 at Appeal No. 22765; to read the Supreme Court's decision, click here.	474 MAL 2007 (CCT No. 2178 CD 2005) Opinion Issued: December 27, 2007 Gregory L. Cutler v. State Civil Service Commission (Office of Administration) Allowance of Appeal was denied; to read the Supreme Court's decision, click here.
70 MAP 2005/71 MAP 2005 (CCT No. 2070 CD 2003) Opinion Issued: December 27, 2006 Roy C. Pinto v. State Civil Service Commission Allowance of Appeal was granted to consider whether Roy C. Pinto, while on leave of absence from his position as a CO1 to serve a term as vice president of the union, was subject to the political activity prohibition of the Civil Service Act. The Supreme Court reversed the Commonwealth Court's determination that the political activity prohibitions apply to employees on leave of absence to serve as vice president of the union, and held that Pinto was on a leave of absence to take a non-civil service position;	47 WAP 2005 (CCT No. 291 CD 2004) Opinion Issued: December 27, 2006 Marvin J. Woods, Jr. v. State Civil Service Commission (New Castle Youth Development Center, Department of Public Welfare) Allowance of Appeal was granted to consider whether the appointing authority had just cause to remove Woods from employment. The Supreme Court affirmed Commonwealth Court's determination that just cause did not exist and the portion of the order directing that Woods be reinstated, and reversed Commonwealth Court's determination that notice of removal was inadequate; to read the Supreme Court's decision, click here.

For more information, please contact Laura Mapes at 717-783-1444 or via e-mail at lamapes@pa.gov.