Local magisterial courts to hear complaints filed by Pittsburgh’s DOMI
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All civil complaints filed by Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will be heard by district judges with jurisdiction over the neighborhood where an alleged violation occurred, according to a recent Allegheny County court order.
DOMI sought a change because it found that judges familiar with a neighborhood had a better understanding of the impact of an alleged violation, according to the Mayor’s Office.
The department is responsible for management of public rights of way and has cited people for violations such as improper utility cuts and illegal street and sidewalk closures. Those complaints have traditionally been handled by district judges assigned to duty in the Downtown Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
“This order provides for just what Pittsburgh residents and community groups have long wanted – more local oversight of quality-of-life issues by the neighborhood judges who know their communities best,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement.
Common Pleas President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark issued an order last week that requires DOMI to file complaints in a Magisterial District Court overseeing the area where a violation occurred.