---
title: "Scott O. Mears | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-o-mears-pa-10-5fda164d"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-08"
---

# Scott O. Mears

Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County · Common Pleas Judge

## Profile

- Court: Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County
- State: Pennsylvania
- Role: Common Pleas Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-26

## 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/courts-of-common-pleas/common-pleas-judges/print-view)
- [Official roster](https://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas/common-pleas-judges/print-view)
- [Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania official judicial roster](https://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas/common-pleas-judges/print-view)
- [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)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Before joining the bench, he was a partner at Mears, Smith, Houser & Boyle, where he practiced law from 1996 to 2015
- He also held the role of a solicitor for the Westmoreland County Land Bank, which managed the acquisition and demolition of the former Monsour Medical Center
- Initially, he spent six years in the criminal court division, but in a recent court reorganization, he swapped dockets with another judge to oversee civil cases, reflecting his prior experience in civil law

### Education

- Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992 and a J.D. from Penn State Dickinson Law in 1996.

### Additional information

- Currently serving a term that extends through December 31, 2035, and is a candidate for retention in the 2025 Pennsylvania General Election.
- Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania, having been elected on November 3, 2015.
- focusing on personal injury litigation, wills and estates, and real estate matters.
- Judge Mears has presided over both civil and criminal cases.
- Throughout his tenure, Judge Mears has presided over numerous cases in Westmoreland County, including civil disputes such as Treasure Lake Property Owner Assoc. v.
- He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Westmoreland County Bar Association, and the Westmoreland Academy of Trial Lawyers, and has been involved in community organizations such as the Greensburg Rotary and the Greensburg YMCA Board



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-0784d9a288c3456edcbc19ff) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?d=&file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F201%2Fchapter19%2Fchap19toc.html). Collected 2026-07-26.