Future is looking bright to county’s new top judge

WILKES-BARRE – Heading into the November general election, Luzerne County Judge Thomas Burke was concerned about whether the voters would give him another 10-year term.

They did – overwhelmingly. Not only was Burke retained for his seat on the bench, he was later elected president judge of the county Court of Common Pleas.

“I have an enormous sense of gratitude to the electorate for having expressed their confidence in me,” Burke said. “Truly, I feel a sense of obligation to my fellow judges who have entrusted me with this leadership role.”

Burke, 63, said he is eagerly awaiting the arrival of two additional judges. Joseph Van Jura and Lewis Wetzel have been nominated by Gov. Ed Rendell and are awaiting confirmation by the state senate. Burke said he hopes both are hearing cases by early April.

“There continues to be a very significant caseload and we have a number of high profile cases – particular homicides – coming up,” Burke said. “This all requires a lot of judicial time.”

Burke said he is maintaining his own docket of cases while tending to the administrative duties of being president judge. He said as much of 40 percent of his time is spent on administrative duties and he often carries work home to review at night and on weekends.

“I am committed to continue to work at turning things around,” Burke said. “I am bolstered by the enthusiasm and contributions of our new judges. Each has displayed a tremendous work ethic and a willingness to be flexible. They have exceeded all my expectations.”

Burke said the county’s caseload is “extremely challenging” and he is working to maintain the court’s docket. He said the senior judges assigned to Luzerne County over the past 13 months have been invaluable.

Burke said regaining public confidence and trust is a daily chore and he sees much progress.

“We’re all very much aware that we need to continue to work toward that goal in light of the recent events,” Burke said. “It’s particularly important because as of right now we don’t have closure regarding the matter of the so-called court corruption scandal. It requires both awareness as well as a concerted effort to make sure every matter that comes before the court is handled effectively.”

Burke said the “tallest compliment” a judge can get is when all parties believe their case has been handled fairly.

“That’s especially meaningful when the losing party recognizes that the process was fair,” he said.