Lancaster County Magisterial District Judge 02-2-04
Magisterial District Court is the first level of judicial authority in Pennsylvania and is the court where most people experience the judicial system for the first time. Magisterial District Judges handle all traffic cases, minor criminal cases, and civil cases involving amounts up to $12,000. Magisterial District Judges also set bail and conduct preliminary hearings in misdemeanor and felony criminal cases to determine if the cases should be dismissed or transferred to the Court of Common Pleas for further proceedings.There are 19 Magisterial District Judges located in offices throughout Lancaster County. They are elected to six-year terms and are employees of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Andrew LeFever
(Dem, Rep)
What education, training, and experience do you have for magisterial judge?
Describe an ethical dilemma you’ve faced. How did you resolve it?
What is your opinion of Cash Bail?
Age
37
Current Job
Magisterial District Judge 02-2-04
Township or Borough of Residence
Lancaster City
Qualifications
J.D., Mississippi College School of Law, 2013; Office of the District Attorney of Lancaster County, 2014-2019; Magisterial District Judge, 2020-Present.
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/LefeverMDJ
I graduated cum laude from Mississippi College School of Law in 2013, after which I served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Office of the District Attorney of Lancaster County from 2014 until 2019, when I was elected to my first term as Magisterial District Judge. I have faithfully served as Magisterial District Judge since 2020, and I am currently seeking re-election for a second term.
Outside of those obvious situations which call into question the impartiality of the Court and which require recusal, I look for collaborative solutions to the conflicts that I hear in my Courtroom. I had a case where the City of Lancaster cited a homeowner with several property violations after multiple attempts to resolve the issues outside of Court. The homeowner, however, was on a very limited income and was unable to make the required repairs. Instead of finding the homeowner guilty and imposing fines that would likely go unpaid, all the parties sat down together in Court, and we came up with a plan that put the homeowner in contact with resources that fixed up the property. The City, the neighbors, and the homeowner were all happy.
The Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure govern the imposition of bail and the release criteria judges are to consider when setting bail.
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