Historic choice for president judge
Judge M. Theresa Johnson first woman chosen for the leadership role
History was made with the recent swearing in of Berks County’s new president judge, M. Theresa Johnson, the first woman ever to hold that leadership position in the county.
Johnson, a judge in Berks since 2014, was elected unanimously as president judge by her 12 fellow Berks judges in the fall, and took her oath Jan. 5 during a ceremony in the courthouse in Reading.
Johnson, 57, has begun her five-year term leading the county judges, succeeding Judge Thomas G. Parisi, who served as president judge since 2018.
The Berks court system was formed in 1752, and no woman had served as president judge before Johnson.
She is up for a retention vote as judge in this year’s general election, seeking another 10-year-term.
More than 150 attorneys, courthouse staff, family and friends of Johnson’s filled the courthouse during the swearing-in ceremony led by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, a past president judge in Berks.
Berks County Bar Association President Gabriela Raful, whom bar association members selected as the association’s first Latina president in the fall, said Johnson’s installation as president judge is inspiring for attorneys and the community, especially at a time when a growing number of women are joining the bench.
“This is a watershed moment for Berks County that’s been 270 years in the making,” Raful said. “I applaud the board of judges for promoting diverse leadership and ensuring our judicial system reflects the community it serves.
“It is important for young women, young men and everyone in the community to see a female take on our court’s top leadership position. President Judge Johnson is a well-respected leader, and our association is confident that she will uphold a standard of excellence while administering the court system and guaranteeing equal access to justice for all. She is truly an inspiration to future generations.”
Parisi, who will continue to serve as a Berks judge, also spoke about the historical importance of Johnson’s appointment. But, he said, Johnson was selected not because she’s a woman but because the judges are confident in her ability to properly and fairly oversee the administration of the county courts.
“She was elected because of her intelligence, her good character, her experience, and because she is hard-working, but nevertheless humble,” he said.
Among Johnson’s biggest goals as president judge, she said, are overseeing upgrades to the courthouse so video hearings can be held in every courtroom.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the court started the hearings so inmates in Berks County Prison could safely have their hearings remotely, and that system worked well, she said. It also saves the county a lot of employee hours previously spent transporting prisoners back and forth for those proceedings, she said.
The county is about onethird of the way done getting those courtrooms ready for remote hearings, she said.
Johnson is also focused on completing the implementation of online criminal filings by attorneys in the county, which also is a more efficient system for everyone, she said.
Parisi said Johnson is the right person to guide the court system as it has a judge vacancy following the December death of Judge Paul M. Yatron.
Yatron, 71, had been serving on the Berks bench since 2006, and his vacancy will be filled this year by senior judges who have retired, unless the governor nominates a temporary replacement this year who is approved by the Senate.
“She (Johnson) will have her hands full with all of the responsibilities of the position, particularly as we will be shorthanded for the foreseeable future, but I am confident that she will be a superb president judge for all of the people of Berks County,” Parisi said.
Johnson said the court is still eliminating some of the backlog of cases caused by the pandemic, and praised the judges for their efforts with that and for covering the significant caseload that Yatron handled.
“The bench is working really hard, and we’re all working together,” she said. “It’s really just a team effort.”
“This is a watershed moment for Berks County that’s been 270 years in the making. I applaud the board of judges for promoting diverse leadership and ensuring our judicial system reflects the community it serves.” — Berks County Bar Association President Gabriela Raful