Judge Marvin R. Halbert

Judge Marvin R. Halbert was Wrongly Criticized and then Vindicated

Judge Marvin R. Halbert (retired) of Philadelphia has been wrongly portrayed in a misleading way on a public website that purports to warn the public of misconduct by professionals in our legal system. On the contrary, Judge Marvin R. Halbert was wrongly criticized by aggressive plaintiffs for conduct which allegedly interfered with their fair trial. These plaintiffs were attempting to overturn unfavorable jury verdicts or judicial opinions against them. Judge Halbert was wrongly criticized for behavior in his courtroom that allegedly distracted jurors and thereby prevented a fair verdict. In response, Judge Halbert cooperated with a thorough judicial investigation and those criticisms failed to hold up during full evidentiary hearings. Testimony by jurors contradicted the unfair criticisms that Judge Halbert's conduct had a negative impact on the jury decision. In fact, there was testimony by jurors that some of the Judge's criticized actions, adjusting a ceiling vent, was helpful and much appreciated. Judge Halbert's simple courteous actions made the "stuffy" courtroom more comfortable for them.

[excerpt below from the ruling in favor of Judge Halbert]

On December 6, 2000, the Honorable Alfred J. DiBona, Jr., the Judge who conducted the evidentiary hearing, issued an Opinion which completely vindicated Judge Halbert of any inappropriate conduct. The results of the investigation and dismissal of the false accusations are available on the public record of the full evidentiary hearings conducted in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia's foremost newspaper, the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, also reported the vindication of Judge Halbert (headlines and excerpt shown below):

You can see below a glimpse of the other side of the story of this wrongly criticized Judge. Judge Marvin R. Halbert is a highly regarded jurist who provided distinguished service on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for a period of more than 27 years. He has never been disciplined for any kind of judicial misconduct by the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, nor has he ever been the subject of a disciplinary inquiry before the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board. You can appreciate the dedication, character and accomplishments of Judge Halbert summarized in an abbreviated version of his Curriculum Vitae. You can see more about the long and distinguished career of Judge Marvin R. Halbert, and his many contributions to his profession and his community, at www.JudgeMarvinRHalbert.org.