Constables and the Judge & Codes enforcement and parking enforcement

I believe that our codes problems are mostly a magisterial courts problem. I call our local magisterial courts the “friends and family court system”. Sure the City can appeal a magisterial court decision but that takes a lot of money. It’s part of the reason that slumlords can rack up enormous quantities of codes offenses and nothing happens. 

I believe the surprise decree by Judge MacElree that mostly eliminated the serving of municipal warrants in Chester County is a new roadblock in codes enforcement.

This relates to the article in today’s Daily Local News:

Officials: Code enforcement needs attention

Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011

Pennsylvania State Constables income is “fee-driven” what used to be called “piece work”. No salary, no benefits; all training, uniforms, cars and all other expenses are the responsibility of the Constable. There is no base pay. Fines paid by defendants and lawsuit participants are the only means of income for Constables.

 “Unlike judges, sheriffs and the police, constables are not guaranteed regular income. Whereas a deputy sheriff serving process still receives pay if he or she is unsuccessful, a constable only gets paid if the process is served in accordance with law.”

 Read the “Harrisburg Patriot” article below and then try to guess where Judge MacElree’s head was when he decided that State Constables could not serve municipal warrants in Chester County. Saving money is absolutely not the reason. Chester County has allegedly lost an enormous sum so far this year.  Warrants for parking tickets and codes violations were not served fees not collected. Constables are still working serving warrants for State offenses. It's the local municipalities that are being screwed. 

I can only guess and assume the County wants control over warrant service by using County Sheriffs working on a salary with full benefits at increased cost to taxpayers. 

“With recent events still fresh in the news and renewed calls for overhauling or disbanding the constable system in Pennsylvania, there is a need to clarify the critical role of the constable in the state’s judicial system.  

The 1,200 certified and trained constables in Pennsylvania provide the most cost-effective method of enforcing the orders of the Magisterial District Courts.”

More at:

Constables serve a useful purpose

Published: Friday, July 08, 2011, 5:30 AM

By William Stoeffler

 Patriot-News Op-Ed 

Also see:

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011

Are our local codes warrants and parking tickets piling up in boxes?