Hon. John M. Cleland (Ret.) was the president judge for the McKean County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He was appointed to the bench in 1984 and was elected to a full term the following year. Cleland retired in 2008.
After retiring from the bench, Cleland was appointed to serve as a commissioned judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court in 2008. He also spent time as a senior judge.
He received a B.A. in history from Denison University in 1969. Cleland went on to complete a J.D. at The George Washington University Law School in 1972.
Prior to joining the judiciary, he worked as a law clerk for the Hon. Baron P. McCune with the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania before entering into private practice, where he remained until his appointment to the Court of Common Pleas.
Cleland was a member of the Juvenile Court Judge Commission and a former trustee of the University of Pittsburgh. He also served as an invited participant in the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Session for State Court Leaders in the 21st Century.
He began devoting his time to address the relationship between the judicial and public health systems in 2005, including helping to develop guidelines for courthouse biohazard preparedness, creating continuity of operations templates for the state’s trial courts, and writing a bench book for judges on public health law.
Cleland received the President’s Distinguished Service Award and the Golden Crowbar Award from the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, the Presidential Medal of Distinction from the University of Pittsburgh, and the Clarity in Writing Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
He was born in Kane, Pennsylvania.
| Current Appointment McKean County Court of Common Pleas | McKean County Court of Common Pleas |
| Election/Appointment 1985 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas 1995 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas - Retained 2005 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas - Retained | 1985 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas 1995 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas - Retained 2005 - McKean County Court of Common Pleas - Retained |
| Previous Appointment Superior Court of Pennsylvania | Superior Court of Pennsylvania |
|
Education
J.D., The George Washington University Law School - 1972 B.A., Denison University - 1969 |
J.D., The George Washington University Law School - 1972 B.A., Denison University - 1969 |
| Current Court: | PA - McKean County Court of Common Pleas |
|---|---|
| Previous Court: | PA - Superior Court of Pennsylvania |
| Role | Employer | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioned Judge | Pennsylvania Superior Court | None |
| Judge | McKean County Court of Common Pleas | McKean County, Pennsylvania |
| Attorney | Private Practice | None |
| Law Clerk | United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania with the Hon. Baron P. McCune | None |
Ballotpedia: John Cleland
Pennsylvania Superior Court: Commissioned Judges
Olean Times Herald: McKean Co. Judge Tasked with Inquiry into Philly Bail System
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