News

PA Courts reaches 4,000 Twitter followers

News Article

June 24, 2015

The Pennsylvania Judiciary’s Twitter feed has reached a milestone, climbing to 4,000 followers.

Since its launch in October 2010, @PACourts has sent out more than 3,800 messages that contain links to court rulings, schedules, news releases and general information. Photos and other graphics accompany many of the messages. The feed can be accessed by desktop, cell phone or other mobile devices through the popular social media service.

The move into social media came in recognition of changes in the manner and pace that the Commonwealth’s citizens expect to receive information. It is also part of continuing efforts to promote access and transparency in court operations.

Surpassing the 4,000 mark puts @PACourts among the top state court systems in the country in numbers of followers.

While daily notices of court rulings make up a majority of what is sent out, a number of high-profile cases over the last two years have underscored the value of the Twitter feed. The feed served as a key outlet to alert interested parties to newly posted filings and orders on the judiciary’s website. Twitter promotes fairness (everyone got the news at the same time); is easy to use and eliminates the need for the labor-intensive task of creating email notification lists.

The service is not set up for communicating with the judiciary. People with questions or who wish to report a problem or concern about the state’s judicial system may continue to do so through the Public Comments section of the Pennsylvania Judiciary’s website: http://www.pacourts.us/comments-and-inquiries.

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Media contact: Art Heinz, 717-231-3317