Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline sets deadline for briefs in Judge Mark Cohen’s misconduct case

On Monday, October 16, 2023, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Court of Judicial Discipline issued an order in the matter of Judge Mark B. Cohen, who serves in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. The order requires both parties to submit their proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and briefs in support of their positions at trial.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Mark B. Cohen,” with case no. 1 JD 23.

The charges against Judge Cohen relate to his Facebook posts, which were deemed to be improper and in violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The posts in question include sympathetic views of political figures from the Democratic Party, support for legislation and policy initiatives from the political left, criticism of political figures from the Republican Party, and criticism of policy initiatives and legislation from the political right.

The Board complaint includes screenshots of the Facebook posts, which were determined to be warranting formal charges. Some of the posts include comments on the accused assailant of Pelosi, President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Bill, and the moderate Ds and Rs gutting the bill.

An order was issued then by the court stating that the transcript for the ongoing legal matter was officially submitted to the court on August 23, 2023. The parties involved have been granted the opportunity to collaborate and review the transcript, ensuring its accuracy. Any necessary corrections have been proposed through a consultative process, underscoring the commitment to fairness and precision in the legal proceedings.

In relation to this event, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Court of Judicial Discipline issued an order that requires both parties of the case to submit their proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and briefs in support of their positions at trial by November 6, 2023. If either party chooses to file a reply brief, it must be submitted by November 20, 2023. The court has requested that both parties submit their written submissions in Microsoft Word format, in addition to filing them in the usual manner.

Judge Cohen’s courtroom is located at the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, 1416 Family Court Building, 1501 Arch Street, and can be reached at 215-686-7346. His info can be found on ballotpedia.org

A copy of the original filing can be found here.