Bucks Writs - Fall 2019 - 15

also decreasing the number of prisoners housed at Bucks
County's Correctional Facility.

When I asked him about his priorities for the
coming year, he was very clear that he's primarily
concerned with "making sure people have
access to the courts." Although he's pleased
that Bucks County has been able to continue to
process cases in an efficient and orderly manner,
consistent with it's state-wide reputation as a
leader in delivering justice in a prompt and
efficacious manner, as a practicing attorney for
over two decades, he understands the competing
demands that many lawyers have to juggle.

He also believes that recent changes in family court
procedure whereby Emergency Custody Petitions will initially
be reviewed by a judge, and where "new" custody cases
will require each party to present a proposed interim custody
order to the Court for review, rather than wait for the parties
to be seen by a custody evaluator before an interim custody
order is entered, will improve the current system.
As for the three new judges who will be joining the Court in
January, it is his plan to "take advantage of their strengths
and experiences by putting them in situations where they
might be most efficient and effective."
Judge Bateman is justifiably proud of his three children,
two of whom are doctors, and the third is a lawyer. Kristin
is a practicing physician and medical professor at Tulane
University Medical School. Ryan is an Emergency Room
doctor at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. Julie is an
associate with Charles Peruto, Jr., in Philadelphia.

Among his chief concerns is figuring out how to best
utilize available space allotted for courtrooms in the Justice
Center. With fifteen judges and three Senior Judges, and
only fourteen courtrooms available at present, it's going
to be challenging to make sure that each judge has a
courtroom available.

Of course, he frankly admits that most of the credit for
their success, (and his) should go to his wife of thirty-eight
years, Denise. Having known Denise myself for many years, I
second that opinion. 

To some extent he hopes to address that problem by
increasing the number of settlement conferences. He also
believes that the flexibility inherent in Judge Boylan's schedule
when she attains senior judge status will be helpful, in that
she'll be able to sit in Drug Court wherever it's scheduled,
and she'll be able to review search warrant applications in chambers.

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY
AND ETHICS MATTERS
STATEWIDE PENNSYLVANIA MATTERS
NO CHARGE FOR INITIAL CONSULTATION

Another recent change in procedure that we discussed
involved the method in which absconder bench warrants
requested by probation and parole are now being handled
by the courts. In the past, people who had violated the terms
of their probation or parole were picked up and held in the
prison until they would come before a judge. In many cases,
they might be returned to jail until the time of their violation
hearing, which could be months away.

Representation,	consultation	and	expert	testimony	in
disciplinary	matters	and	matters	involving	ethical	issues,
bar	admissions	and	the	Rules	of	Professional	Conduct

James C. Schwartzman, Esq.

*	 Judge,	Court	of	Judicial	Discipline
*	 Former	Chairman,	Judicial	Conduct	Board	of	Pennsylvania
*	 Former	Chairman,	Disciplinary	Board	of	the	Supreme	Court	of	
Pennsylvania
*	 Former	Chairman,	Continuing	Legal	Education	Board	of	the	
Supreme	Court	of	Pennsylvania
*	 Former	Chairman,	Supreme	Court	of	Pennsylvania	Interest	on	
Lawyers	Trust	Account	Board
*	 Former	Federal	Prosecutor
*	 Selected	by	his	peers	as	one	of	the	top	100	Super	Lawyers	in	PA	
and	the	top	100	Super	Lawyers	in	Philadelphia
*	 Named	by	his	peers	as	Best Lawyers in America	2015	
Philadelphia	Ethics	and	Professional	Responsibility	Law	
"Lawyer	of	the	Year,"	and	in	Plaintiffs	and	Defendants	Legal	
Malpractice	Law

Under the procedure spearheaded by Christine Shenk,
recently named Chief of Bucks County Adult Probation
(APPD), most people with outstanding bench warrants for
alleged probation violations will be screened and interviewed
by an APPD staffer, who will recommend detention or
release before appearing in Court. It is anticipated that this
will decrease the number of people held in custody pending
their violation hearings which will allow them to address
the issued underlying the alleged violations without causing
them to lose their jobs and/or their living arrangements while

1818 Market Street, 29th Floor * Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 751-2863
15

STEVENS &LEELEE -

FALL 2019
ISSUE: 1905
1902
1808
ORG/PUB: MagazineName
Bucks Writs
Bucks Writs - Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bucks Writs - Fall 2019
