---
title: "Richard H. Welsh | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-27"
---

# Richard H. Welsh

Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court 38-1-19 · Magisterial District Judge

## Profile

- Court: Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court 38-1-19
- State: Pennsylvania
- Role: Magisterial District Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-27

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### recording photography evidence presentation

Scope: statewide

For Pennsylvania Common Pleas proceedings, statewide Pa.R.J.A. 1910 prohibits courtroom broadcasting, recording, and photography unless an exception or judicial authorization applies; the rule also recognizes judge-authorized electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation.

Evidence excerpt: the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence

[201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?d=&file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F201%2Fchapter19%2Fchap19toc.html)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.pacourts.us/courts/minor-courts/magisterial-district-judges)
- [Official roster](https://www.pacourts.us/courts/minor-courts/magisterial-district-judges)
- [Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania official judicial roster](https://www.pacourts.us/courts/minor-courts/magisterial-district-judges)
- [201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?d=&file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F201%2Fchapter19%2Fchap19toc.html)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19",
      "name": "Richard H. Welsh | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Richard H. Welsh, Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court 38-1-19. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-07-27",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19#judge",
      "name": "Richard H. Welsh",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19",
      "jobTitle": "Magisterial District Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court 38-1-19"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.pacourts.us/courts/minor-courts/magisterial-district-judges"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Pennsylvania",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/pennsylvania"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Richard H. Welsh",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-h-welsh-pa-mdj-38-1-19"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Biography

### Professional career

- Before becoming a judge, Richard Welsh served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office — 1996–1999.
- the Magisterial District Judge for District 38-1-19, covering Limerick Township, Royersford Borough, and portions of Upper Providence Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

### Education



### Additional information

- He has held this position since January 2018 and is elected to serve until December 31, 2029
- Richard Welsh was elected to his current position in the 2017 general election, winning the seat as a Democratic candidate with 51.25% of the vote
- He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar on January 19, 1997 and has been active in public service since then
- Judge Welsh can administer oaths, perform marriages, and oversee summary trials for minor offenses such as retail theft, disorderly conduct, and driving with a suspended license
- His professional experience includes handling criminal prosecutions and legal matters within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- He previously participated in the Democratic primary, where he received 43.26% of the votes, and has since been a candidate in subsequent elections for retention in his judicial role
- Magisterial District Court 38-1-19, presided over by Judge Welsh, is a minor court responsible for traffic and non-traffic citations, preliminary arraignments, and hearings for criminal cases