Erie Appeal Lawyer: En Banc Superior Court Panel

December 8, 2010, PHILADELPHIA, PA — Erie lawyer Eric J. Purchase was the first Pennsylvania lawyer to argue before an en banc Superior Court panel in Philadelphia on November 18, 2010 in
In Re: Estate of Daniel L. R. Miller.

Typically, appeals to the Superior Court are heard by a panel of three judges of the Court. Rarely, a case already heard by a three-judge panel will be taken up by the Superior Court for en banc argument. En Banc argument is held before a panel of nine judges of the Superior Court and is held only when the judges of the appellate court determine that the case presents questions of unusual importance. An en banc argument is one of the rarest events in Pennsylvania appellate practice. It is even less common than argument before Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. In 2008, for example, there were 7,900 appeals to the Superior Court and less than 30 were slated for en banc review.

The case argued by Attorney Purchase is a complex one, factually and legally, presenting interesting issues of the proper scope of judicial power, as well as arcane questions of Orphan’s Court jurisdiction and estate/corporate/trust governance. The argument will be broadcast on PCN and will be available on PCN+ for online viewing. Broadcast schedule information will be provided when it is made available.

Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. is a Pennsylvania law firm dedicated to helping people who’ve been injured as a result of the careless action of others in northwest Pennsylvania, including Erie County, Crawford County, Venango County, Mercer County, Warren County, and Forest County, PA.