Stefanie Salavantis selected as new Luzerne County president judge

Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Stefanie J. Salavantis will be the new president judge starting Jan. 4 — the first woman to hold the leadership post in county history.

Salavantis, 42, was selected Wednesday through a vote of her judicial colleagues.

Judge Michael T. Vough has served as president judge since January 2020, and someone new must be selected every five years.

While the court has maintained an inclusive leadership approach for more than a decade, the president judge ultimately controls judicial assignments and hiring in several court branches, including probation services and domestic relations.

The court system’s combined budget is around $19.1 million, which also covers magisterial district courts.

Salavantis was elected to a county judgeship in 2021 and previously was the county’s elected district attorney.

“I’m honored to have been selected and chosen by my colleagues to be the face of the bench as president judge moving forward,” Salavantis said Thursday.

She expressed high respect and admiration for her fellow judges.

“We have a good relationship. We work together strongly as a team in making positive changes and moving things forward for Luzerne County,” Salavantis said.

Vough, 60, said he is “very excited and happy” Salavantis will be “taking the reins” and making history as the first female president judge.

“I’m sure she’ll do a fantastic job,” he said.

Looking back

Three months into Vough’s term as president judge, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“We had to basically close the courts and refigure out how to safely operate our court system. I’m very proud of the way the bench and all of our employees worked through that process,” he said Thursday.

The court ended up crafting safety protocols and temporarily holding jury trials at the larger Jewish Community Center in Kingston and the Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township to accommodate social distancing, he said.

“We were one of the only counties in the state to have jury trials during the safer periods of COVID,” he said.

In other developments over the last five years, family court procedures changed so all cases involving the same family stay with the same judge, such as child custody matters and protection-from-abuse filings, he said.

This approach is a best practice for continuity and to ensure judges understand all matters involving each family, he said.

“It’s been a revelation to our system,” he said.

For civil court, software assigns cases to judges sooner.

“Judges are getting involved in the process much earlier, and that’s leading to cases being resolved at a quicker pace,” he said. “We’re resolving over 100 civil cases per month, which is unheard of.”

The state requires most cases to be adjudicated within two years, with a benchmark of no more than 25% continuing beyond that, he said. Vough said the court has fewer than 25% of civil cases extending past two years, describing the situation as “the best numbers we’ve had in a very, very long time.”

On the criminal side, cases can be brought before a county judge within 60 days of an arrest, he said.

Vough also thanked county Manager Romilda Crocamo for supporting his proposal to free up space in the courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre for two additional courtrooms so court proceedings don’t have to be held at the county-owned Penn Place Building in the city’s downtown. Several county offices relocated from the courthouse to Penn Place, including the manager to make that change possible.

All court proceedings are now in the courthouse or adjacent Bernard C. Brominski Building on North Street.

Vough also presented statistical case analysis to help convince state legislators to add an eleventh judge to be elected in 2025 and seated in January 2026.

He thanked fellow judges for rallying behind him as a leader, saying he tried to obtain consensus from the group before implementing policies.

The eight remaining judges are: David W. Lupas, Tina Polachek Gartley, Jennifer L. Rogers, Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr., Lesa S. Gelb, Richard M. Hughes, Fred A. Pierantoni III and Tarah C. Toohil.

“We got a lot done in five years,” Vough said. “It wasn’t me. It was the bench.”

Future plans

Salavantis said she intends to “continue with Judge Vough’s vision.”

“I want to continue moving Luzerne County forward in a positive way and look at implementing any changes that would benefit citizens and move cases through the system faster and more efficiently,” she said.

She will also oversee completion of a plan Vough initiated to relocate the domestic relations office from the first and second floors of the Brominski building so all three family court judges — Salavantis, Rogers and Toohil — and courtrooms can be housed there. Toohil is currently stationed in the courthouse due to a lack of space at the Brominski building.

The PFA office and waiting areas also will be added at the Brominski building.

That includes a playroom waiting area for children with toys so they don’t have to sit in a hallway waiting to be interviewed in a case between their parents or for other matters.

Family court also adjudicates cases related to divorces, child/spousal support, domestic situations, alleged abuse and neglect, truancy and juvenile detention and delinquency.

“This will allow all children going through the system to be in a setting that is made comfortable for them,” Salavantis said.

With the current two-location layout, families are often confused about where their proceedings are being held, Salavantis said. Keeping family court under one roof also will eliminate confusion for families already in stressful situations, she said.

The council-adopted capital plan earmarks $1.5 million for the project.

Domestic relations will move to leased space in Kingston, with state reimbursement covering that rental, Vough said.

This project must be completed in 2025 because the courthouse chambers will be needed to accommodate the eleventh judge, he said.

Salavantis, who is married to James R. McGrady, said she was pleased and honored to be assigned to family court because she is passionate about such matters. She supports assigning judges to a family.

“To have that familiarity with the family is important,” she said.

Security also will remain a priority during her president judge tenur, she said.

“Unfortunately we get threats and people in court that are not happy with us every day,” Salavantis said. “Judges, workers and everyone entering the court must feel safe.”

If issues surface, Salavantis said she will work with others to identify the best solutions.

“I’m just going to take it one day at a time as president judge. I know that there will be challenges that I will face, but as a team, together with my colleagues on the bench, we will handle everything together,” she said.

Manager statement

Crocamo issued a statement congratulating Salavantis “on this well-deserved honor” and for being the first woman to fill the role.

“This is a monumental achievement, not only for her, but for our community as a whole. Her exemplary leadership during her tenure as district attorney showcased her dedication, integrity and unwavering commitment to justice,” Crocamo said.

Crocamo said she expects Salavantis will “foster innovation in the judiciary.”

“I am excited about the incredible impact she will make in this new role and look forward to collaborating with her to enhance our court system,” Crocamo said.