Kevin Dougherty
| Kevin M. Dougherty | |
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| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2016 |
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| Trial judge of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County | |
| In office 2001–2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Antioch School of Law Temple University |
Kevin M. Dougherty is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Before his election in 2015,[1] Dougherty had served on the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia since 2001,[2] serving as an administrative judge of the trial division.[3]
He had been appointed to the bench by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge in 2001, and was elected to the first of two 10-year terms later that year,[2][4] receiving the most vote among 14 candidates. After his election, he requested to be assigned to the family division, where he felt he could have the most significant societal impact,[5] and has prided himself on helping families and children during his judicial career.[6] Dougherty became Supervising Judge of the Juvenile Division of Philadelphia Family Court in 2003.[5][6] There he implemented reforms like easing access to the court and what he called a "changing of the culture" among a judiciary of mostly older judges. He received 78 percent of the vote when he ran for retention in 2011, and received support from both Democrats and Republicans.[6]
Dougherty graduated from the Antioch School of Law in Washington, D.C. in 1988, and is a graduate of Temple University.[4] He ran as a Democrat for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015,[7] and was part of a Democratic sweep of all three court vacancies, along with David Wecht, and Christine Donohue. They defeated Republican candidates Judith Olsen, Michael George, and Anne Covey, in a campaign that saw more than $15 million in donations from special interests.[1] Dougherty received a "recommended" rating from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and received strong support from organized labor groups,[2] in part due to Dougherty's relationship with his brother, Philadelphia labor leader John J. Dougherty.[8] Dougherty was the campaign's top fundraiser,[2] raising more than $3.5 million.[8]
Dougherty grew up in South Philadelphia in what he described as a "very blue-collar, working-class neighborhood", and was the first from his family to graduate college, working three part-time jobs as he attended Temple.[4]
References
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External links
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| Preceded by
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Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 2016–present |
Incumbent |
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Current statewide political officials of Pennsylvania
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