39th Judicial District Announces Upcoming Observations

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – In order to raise awareness and appreciation for the development of the law and our democratic republic, and to honor directives of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to observe certain historical events relevant to our citizens, President Judge Shawn D. Meyers of the Common Pleas Court for the 39th Judicial District will conduct the following observations in 2023. All events will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the Historic Courtroom of the Franklin County Judicial Center, 14 N. Main St., Chambersburg. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

June 16, 2023: Juneteenth Observation
Scheduled speaker: Stephanie Jirard, professor of criminal justice and chief diversity officer, Shippensburg University

Stephanie A. Jirard is a professor of criminal justice at Shippensburg University. Prior to teaching, Professor Jirard was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, worked at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Division (Torts Branch), was in Boston both as a federal prosecutor and a federal public defender, and served as a death penalty defense attorney in Columbia, Missouri. Jirard recently served as the university’s chief diversity officer and now speaks widely on issues related to social justice.

June 30, 2023: Declaration of Independence, Observation of July 4, and Ratification of the Pennsylvania Constitution
Scheduled speaker: Andrea Tuominen, incoming Pennsylvania court administrator

Among Andrea Tuominen’s many accomplishments, she has served as special assistant to the court administrator and other positions in the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) since 1992. She was appointed assistant court administrator in 2001 and deputy court administrator in 2021. Tuominen was the recipient of the 2019 Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Government Lawyer of the Year award. She previously served as co-chair of the PBA’s Commission on Women in the Profession as well as other executive council positions and is currently co-chair of the PBA mentoring committee. Tuominen received her Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College.

Sept. 15, 2023: Adoption of the U.S. Constitution by the Delegates of the Constitutional Convention and Ratification of the Bill of Rights
Scheduled speaker: TBA

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