William L. Burke at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Pennsylvania · State
- Judicial service
- Active
William L. Burke
Common Pleas Judge · Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Judicial District 21 (Schuylkill County)
Biography
Professional career
- The current Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas Judge for District 21 (Schuylkill County), serving until December 31, 2033, after winning the 2023 partisan election
- In 2023, Burke defeated former Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael O’Pake by a margin of 19,625 to 14,126 unofficial votes
- A Port Carbon attorney with over 32 years in private practice, Burke also held the role of a staff attorney for the Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services and as Schuylkill County Recorder of Deeds
Education
Additional information
- William Leo Joseph Burke was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1989 and is currently listed as a judge for the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County
- Elected in the November 7, 2023 Pennsylvania General Election to replace retired Judge William Baldwin.
- General-jurisdiction trial court judge
- handling both civil and criminal cases at the first instance level in Schuylkill County.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Exhibits
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.
the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom
Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Judicial District 21 (Schuylkill County)
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania official judicial roster ↗201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View 201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom ↗