Pay Reinstated for Accused District Judge

Suspended West Chester Magisterial District Judge Mark A. Bruno will now get paid for the time he is off the bench, pending the outcome of a federal ticket-fixing case against him.

According to a federal indictment unsealed on January 31, Judge Bruno allegedly "fixed" Philadelphia traffic tickets, along with 11 other judges, for people "with whom they were socially or politically connected." The indictment is attached to this article as a pdf file.

Bruno who was re-elected in 2011 as Judge for District Court 15-1-1 in West Chester was suspended without pay under a February 1 order issued by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Bruno appealed the suspension of his pay to the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline which has now ruled that Bruno should be paid while the investigation and case against Bruno continues.  The consenting judge's opinion is attached to this article as a pdf file.

Bruno is still suspended from his job as a district judge while the case works its way through the courts. If found guilty Bruno could face up to 60 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine.

Magisterial District Judges in Pennsylvania are paid an annual salary of $86,639.

• Read the Original West Chester Patch Story on Judge Bruno's Indictment Here.