The 9-member Commonwealth Court is one of two intermediate appellate courts in Pennsylvania.

Unlike the Superior and Supreme court, the Commonwealth Court has original jurisdiction including election cases and cases where someone has filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth and acts as the trial court when lawsuits are filed by or against the Commonwealth. The factual record of a case is developed in Commonwealth Court for all future appeals.

The Commonwealth Court usually takes cases involving:

• State and local government and regulatory agencies

  • Labor Practices

  • Workers’ Compensation

  • Elections and election law

  • Pennsylvania state laws

  • Banking

  • Insurance

  • Utility regulation

  • Taxation (all state tax appeals from Board of Finance and Revenue)

  • Land use (such as eminent domain)

  • Department of Transportation decisions

  • Liquor Control Board rulings about liquor licenses

Recent notable cases include:

• IBEW Local 98 Prevailing Wage Bonds ruled not public funds

• Act 77 No-excuse mail in ballot law ruled unconstitutional

• K-12 school funding ruled unconstitutional

• Krasner impeachment ruled unconstitutional

• PA Commonwealth Court is the only court in the US where Trump WON and successfully halted the state certification