On Thursday, March 12, 2026, the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline suspended Judge Michael Fanning of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas without pay, effective immediately. This action follows a petition filed by the Judicial Conduct Board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 11, 2026, seeking Judge Fanning’s interim suspension without pay.
The petition was prompted by criminal complaints filed against Judge Fanning on March 10, 2026, by the Philadelphia County District Attorney’s Office. The case, Commonwealth v. Michael Fanning, bears docket numbers MC-51-CR-0004241-2026 and MC-51-CR-0004242-2026.
The charges against Judge Fanning include aggravated assault (18 P.S. §2702), a felony of the first degree, and strangulation (18 P.S. §2718), a felony of the second degree. He also faces two counts of simple assault (18 P.S. §2701), a misdemeanor of the second degree, and two counts of recklessly endangering another person (18 P.S. §2705), also a misdemeanor of the second degree.
The Judicial Conduct Board argued that the pending felony and other criminal charges against Judge Fanning undermine public confidence in the judiciary and its reputation. They asserted that allowing Judge Fanning to continue presiding over cases during the pendency of these charges would further erode public trust in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.
Judge Fanning had served continuously as a judge since approximately July 10, 2014.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
