From dishwasher in family restaurant to top judge in Family Court

Sep 04, 2018 890

BY: Pete Kennedy

Paul Panepinto was standing in line for a ride at Disney World when he had an idea about how to improve Philadelphia’s court system. “I’ve been in line for 40 minutes,” he said, “but I don’t mind waiting because the entertainment is pretty good.” It was the spring of 1996, and just days earlier, Panepinto had been appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as the administrative judge for Philadelphia Family Court, overseeing 900 employees, 25 judges and a $36 million budget.

For one of his first acts in the powerful new position, he installed 76-inch televisions in the courthouse waiting areas, where children and adults — sometimes parents feuding over custody — often had to wait for hours. “I created movies about practical things and fun things for kids to watch, and for parents to learn how to behave in the courtroom,” Panepinto said.

Read more

SOURCE: http://www.italianamericanherald.com

You may be interested