The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Judge Hilary Wheatley, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

I agreed to complete this Q&A for several reasons:

To affirm my commitment to equal protection under the law for ALL people
To help inform voters about my experience and my values
To acknowledge the unique legal issues experienced by members of the LGBTQ community
To demonstrate that I value the perspectives and concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals
To foster trust in the judiciary
To further help me become a more informed and well-rounded judge.

Meet the Candidate

Welcome to the 2025 election season series ‘Political Q&A’ – interviews with candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Since 2013, we’ve published nearly 150 of these interviews. We use an email Q&A format to allow the candidates to speak directly to you, the readers.

Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity for candidates to connect with the LGBTQ community, progressives neighbors, and others with an interest in Pennsylvania. If your candidate would like to participate, contact us pghlesbian at gmail dot com. We welcome candidates at all levels of government across the entire Commonwealth. We publish in the order that they are returned and will accept Q&A’s until Election Day.

Please note that Pennsylvania has over 500 school districts. We’d like to talk with candidates in any one of them. Tell your district’s story statewide.

Important to note that I do not edit the responses, including their framing of LGBTQ identities.

These Q&A’s are lengthy because there is a lot of ground to cover. This year, I created about 20 questions per candidate. This is and should be a deep dive because you deserve as much information as possible.

By participating in this Q&A series, candidates are saying that they

are an LGBTQIA+ ally, specifically supporting equality and dignity for transgender persons
identify as pro-choice

I was introduced to Hilary Wheatley during her 2021 campaign for District Magistrate. She completed her Q&A and won her election. Back then I was impressed with both her professional and her progressive work. This time, she has raised the bar – pun fully intended. In fact, she’s raised the bar across the campaign – her website really stands out as a resource for voters. Her thoughtful responses here offer one way of judicial leadership that seems desperately needed these days.

Name: Judge Hilary Wheatley

Pronouns:she/her

Office Sought in This Election: Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge

How do you describe your identity? I am a cisgender straight woman.

Tell us about your Allegheny County. What is a hidden gem most people might not know about?

My hidden gem isn’t really a place I can direct your readers to, but rather a feeling in certain places: on the kickball field in the summer with my friends/teammates, sitting poolside with friends, on the soccer field with my fellow coaches and our kids playing soccer, or in the bowling alley on Sunday nights with my bowling league. Running for office and getting elected to the bench shrunk and then expanded my circle of friends in unexpected ways. I’m so lucky to have found a group of friends who are active and who love to explore our region, who prioritize adult friendships outside their role as parents, and who let me be Hilary, rather than Judge Wheatley.

When the weather cooperates, I really enjoy sitting at an outdoor table at Pusadee’s Garden in Lawrenceville, with a New Person, Same Old Mistakes cocktail and sharing several spicy dishes from the menu with friends.

Questions and Answers

What professional accomplishment gives you the most pride?

I am most proud of the work my campaign team and I did to win the May 2021 Primary Election. It was a hard-fought victory, built from the ground up, powered by people who saw how important the role of Magisterial District Judge is to our community and who believed in my qualifications to fill that role.

According to your website, as a judge you continue to serve in an of counsel role with P&G, mentoring younger colleagues and advising condominium and homeowner’s associations. Magistrates hear housing cases, especially evictions. Please explain how you navigate potential conflicts of interest with this advisory work. Will you continue to work with P&G if elected to the Court of Common Pleas?

If elected to the Court of Common Pleas, I will be required to give up the practice of law. While Magisterial District Judges are permitted to continue practice law, or engage in other non-judicial employment, Court of Common Pleas Judges are not. So, if elected to the Court of Common Pleas, I will resign from Papernick & Gefsky.

In my District Court, I have a process in place to alert me to the filing of any case that may raise a conflict of interest that would require me to recuse myself, including any case on which a firm colleague is counsel of record, any case involving a current or former client of the firm, as well as cases involving close friends. In those instances, even when I believe I can be impartial, I recuse myself, and Court Administration transfers the case to another District Court. This is a common occurrence in the county, not exclusive to my court, as many MDJs maintain a concurrent legal practice or have other current and former connections that require recusal.

Please tell me about your familiarity with the LGBTQ community in Allegheny County.

My experience with the LGBTQ community is largely shaped by my work on the bench, where I have presided over cases involving many individuals who identify as LGBTQ. During my 2021 judicial campaign, my understanding of the community deepened as I engaged with organizations in our region to better understand their needs and struggles. While I have gained valuable insight over the past three years as an elected Magisterial District Judge, I recognize that holding a position of public trust and service requires ongoing engagement with all communities. It is essential to continue learning from those most affected by the legal system to ensure fair and equitable outcomes for all.

Based on this, what do you understand to be our current top LGBTQ concerns and priorities for the Court of Commons Pleas? How will you respond to those priorities?

Members of the LGBTQ community face unique concerns and priorities when engaging with our court system, including discrimination and bias, unfair and inequitable treatment, and unique challenges in divorce and custody proceedings, often due to evolving legal standards, lingering biases, and gaps in legal protections.

As an elected judge, I can respond to these concerns by treating all individuals who come before me with dignity, by recognizing and honoring their humanity and identity, by ensuring equal treatment under the law, and by advocating for inclusive and affirming court policies and court spaces. I am committed to listening to the concerns and priorities of the LGBTQ community as a judge and finding ways to address them in cases that come before me.

What have you personally and professionally done to protect trans kids?

My legal work before taking the bench involved consumer rights and real estate litigation, which means all my clients were adults. Therefore, my legal practice did not include any work with or for trans kids. Since taking the bench, I have had many occasions where trans kids were before me for a variety of cases. In those instances, I have honored their chosen name and identity, treated them with the dignity they deserve, ensured they were given an opportunity to be heard, and entered dispositions that were fair and without bias.

Tell us about an underappreciated or little known asset in the Court of Common Pleas?

The Civil Division Housing Court Help Desk, which was created many years ago to provide filing clerks with specific training in landlord-tenant case procedures. Navigating the filings and procedures for landlord-tenant cases in Allegheny County is complex, especially for unrepresented parties who are facing the possibility of losing their housing and who often cannot afford or access legal representation.

Is the Court of Common Pleas a County level or State level of government?

Under Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System, the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas is a division/district of the state government. Judges are state employees while the staff are county employees.

Please summarize how the Court of Common Pleas is funded.

The Court of Common Pleas is funded through a combination of state tax revenues and fees/fines/court costs collected from case participants. A detailed explanation of the funding of our courts can be found here.

In about 70% of Pennsylvania, it is legal to discriminate against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation – to fire us, to refuse to rent to us, even to deny to serve us in a business. The few protections we have come from municipal ordinances, court rulings, and executive decisions none of which carry the weight of legislative action by the General Assembly. Name three things your office will do to address the fallout of this legalized bigotry?

As an elected judge, whether as a Magisterial District Judge or on the Court of Common Pleas, my duty and obligation is to uphold the rule of law. Judges are not permitted to take any action in their capacity as an elected judge beyond deciding the cases that come before them, by applying the facts of each case to the relevant and binding laws and court precedent in place. What I can promise to do is be fair, treat all people who come into my court with dignity and compassion, be a check on the power of the other branches of government, and ensure that they are given an opportunity to be heard.

Because the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits elected judges and candidates for judicial office from making statements on how they will rule on cases, I cannot answer this question with any further detail.

Every school kid learns that we have three branches of government – executive, legislative, and judicial. We also have three levels of government – local, state, and federal. Democracy is supposed to rest at the intersections of these branches and levels. Those intersections also include people – citizens, residents, voters, workers, neighbors. It can be overwhelming when the balance of power is heavily tilted in one direction. What three specific actions will you take to address this imbalance from your office should you be elected?

The role of the judicial branch, and the judges who serve within it, is to be a check on the power of the legislative and executive branches. Rather, a judge’s role in being a check on the balance of power is to review the constitutionality of laws or executive orders and to interpret the meaning of laws within the context of cases before them. As an elected judge, I operate as a check on the balance of power by hearing cases with an open mind, providing all parties an opportunity to be fully heard, and then applying the facts to the law, fairly and impartially.

Our nation is in turmoil. Still, Court business continues – crimes adjudicated, custody decisions made, disputes and grievances addressed. Our lives move forward, facing life changing personal legal battles in this larger context. How does a judge balance this cognitive dissonance?

Balancing the cognitive dissonance of a nation in turmoil while ensuring the wheels of justice keep turning is a challenge. It requires us to act with a delicate mix of legal fidelity, ethical grounding, and personal resilience. Judges must remain steadfast in upholding the rule of law, even when societal divisions create pressure on us to lean one way or another. Balancing these forces requires that we distinguish between personal feelings, public sentiment, and legal principles. We must resist influence from public outcry or political movements while still understanding the broader context in which legal issues arise. Day-to-day, we can deploy our discretion in ways that ensure that justice is not only legally correct but also morally sound, emphasizing fairness over rigid technicality when appropriate. I work hard to ensure that in my courtroom, the law remains a beacon of justice even when the world around us is turbulent

In your 2021 Q&A with our blog, you said “I’ll approach each person as more than their worst day or worst choice or most shameful story. I know first hand that we are all more than any one of those things and we deserve a chance to prove it.” Without compromising anyone’s privacy, please give us an example of how you’ve done this as a magisterial district judge.

When I began my term as Magisterial District Judge in January 2022, I dedicated some time to review all aged/open cases in my District Court with the primary goals of clearing any backlog and addressing other scheduling concerns, while also tracking the status of bench warrants for unpaid case balances or failure to appear or respond to citations. What I learned during this review was that there were thousands of summary traffic and non-traffic cases, dating as far back as 2010, with outstanding balances, no recent payments, and/or no recent case activity. As I looked further, I observed that often, a case would have a small fine (and associated, mandatory fees and costs) imposed and that the balance would thereafter increase due to the procedures mandated by court rule. I further learned that at the time, Magisterial District Courts had very little, and often no, discretion to determine whether a defendant has an ability to pay these mandatory fines, fees, and costs during the initial disposition of a case.

I saw how a small fine on a traffic or summary criminal citation often caused the suspension of a person’s driver’s license, which simply compounds the inability to ever pay the debt owed to the Court. Defendants would come before me in response to a bench warrant and explain the burden of their court debt and how the loss of a driver’s license would or had impacted their lives. Fortunately, shortly after I took the bench, the General Assembly passed Act 163 of 2022, which gave courts more options and discretion to deal with unpaid fines, costs, and fees (a summary of the law provided by the ACLU and how it has changed the collection process can be found here). Following the effective date of this legislation, in March 2023, I began holding quarterly Fine & Fee Clinics for defendants who owed fines, fees, and costs on cases in my District Court.

During these clinics, I review a defendant’s outstanding balances and conduct an “ability to pay” determination that evaluates income, household expenses, and other relevant information such as recent incarceration, inpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment, and receipt of or eligibility for public assistance/government benefits. Upon completion of the hearing and based on the information obtained during the ability to pay determination, I set affordable payment plans for those I determine are able to pay, offer community service in lieu of some or all of an outstanding balance, or fully waive fines and fees when appropriate and in accordance with Act 163. In addition, for new cases, I evaluate a defendant’s ability to pay when I consider whether to impose fines, fees, and court costs or whether there are alternative, appropriate consequences.

Going to court is a scary thing for many people. Dealing with debt and the potential consequences is scarier. This fear, justifiably, leads people to simply ignore the notices in the mail and the risks, including bench warrants, associated with not paying the debt. With my Fine & Fee Clinics, I offer people a judgment-free path forward, with a manageable plan to address or eliminate outstanding case balances and toward restoration of their driver’s license. Often, people come back months later to show me their newly-reinstated driver’s license and thank me for helping them get back on their feet. The sincere and grateful feedback that I receive after these clinics is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role as Magisterial District Judge.

Your website has an entire page dedicated to explaining how Pennsylvania’s courts operate. I can’t recall any candidate doing this in previous elections. What motivated you to devote resources to that information?

During both my 2021 campaign and this one, I’ve met countless voters who preface their questions with, “This might be a stupid question, but…”—only to ask about the roles of different court levels, the divisions within the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, or how judges are elected. This made me realize that, outside the legal community, most people have a limited understanding of our court system. I wanted my website to serve as a resource for people to learn about the court I’m running for and how it fits within the broader judicial framework.

There’s a clear need to actively create space for women, especially Black women and other women of color, in elected office AND on campaign and legislative staffs. These are issues of representation and realities. Tell us about your campaign team.

My campaign chair is Valerie Fleisher, COO of Riverlife, and current President of the Mt. Lebanon School Board of Directors; my campaign manager is Kate Abel Fabus, an elected member of Dormont Borough Council and President of the Dormont Community Development Corporation. I’m lucky to call these women my friends, too. I am proud to have a team of supporters and volunteers throughout the county that is as diverse as the County’s population.

Why did you agree to complete this Q&A?

I agreed to complete this Q&A for several reasons:

To affirm my commitment to equal protection under the law for ALL people
To help inform voters about my experience and my values
To acknowledge the unique legal issues experienced by members of the LGBTQ community
To demonstrate that I value the perspectives and concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals
To foster trust in the judiciary
To further help me become a more informed and well-rounded judge.

We must resist influence from public outcry or political movements while still understanding the broader context in which legal issues arise. Day-to-day, we can deploy our discretion in ways that ensure that justice is not only legally correct but also morally sound, emphasizing fairness over rigid technicality when appropriate. I work hard to ensure that in my courtroom, the law remains a beacon of justice even when the world around us is turbulent

Endorsements, Socials, and Summary

Tell us about your endorsements.

To date, I have been endorsed by State Senator Nick Pisciottano, County Council Members Bethany Hallam, Bob Palmosina, and Dan Grzybek; Pittsburgh City Council Members Erika Strassburger and Bobby Wilson; Dormont Borough Council Vice President Brandon Ledford and Council Members Kate Abel Fabus and Chris Reiger; Mt. Lebanon Commission President Anne Swager Wilson, and the Hon. Blaise Laratonda (ret.). I have been endorsed by the South Park Democratic Committee and the North Hills Progressive Neighbors. I am working to earn endorsements from value-aligned elected officials, labor groups, and organizations and hope to have more endorsements to announce in the coming weeks.

Please list your social media accounts and your campaign donation links.

https://electhilary.com (website)

https://www.facebook.com/hilarykwheatley/ (personal page)

https://www.facebook.com/MDJHilaryWheatley/ (Magisterial District Judge page)

https://www.facebook.com/judgewheatleyforcommonpleas/ (campaign page)

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/hilary-wheatley-1 (donation link)

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

There are eight open seats on the Court of Common Pleas in this election cycle. The judges elected will likely serve for decades, shaping the court’s composition and direction for generations. By the time you or a loved one is standing in a courtroom for a case that impacts your life, it’s too late to think about who your judge is. The time to care is now—when we have the power to choose who sits on the bench. I urge everyone to check their voter registration here, encourage friends to do the same, and make a plan to vote—whether by mail or in person on May 20.

Thank you, Hilary.

Other Q&A’s

Other Q&A’s in this election cycle series. You can read previous cycle Q&A’s here. If your candidate would like to participate, please contact us pghlesbian at gmail dot com.

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Lauren Leiggi, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Judge Alyssa Cowan, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Amy Mathieu, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Amanda Green-Hawkins, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Judge Hilary Wheatley, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas