Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Max Baer, ​​dies

• Max Baer died suddenly at his home near Pittsburgh on Saturday.
• He is 74 years old. After a long career in law, he was sworn in as chief justice in 2021.
• The new Chief Justice Debra Todd said, “This is a huge loss for the Court”.

Max Baer, ​​the chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, died suddenly at his home near Pittsburgh on Saturday. He is 74 years old.

In a statement, the new Chief Justice, Debra Todd, who has been in court the longest, said, “This is a huge loss for the Court and the whole of Pennsylvania.”

“Pennsylvania has lost a judge who did a great job for the Court and the people of the Commonwealth,” he said. “Chief Justice Baer is a strong and intelligent judge who is always focused on upholding justice in a fair and balanced manner.

“He is a tireless advocate for children, committed to protecting and providing for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens,” the statement said.

The Post Gazette, a local news source, said that Baer was first elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2003. After a long career in law, he was sworn in as chief justice in 2021.

The judge is supposed to leave court at the end of the year when he is 75, which is the mandatory age to leave court.

The man from Pittsburgh is said to have graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and then from Duquesne University School of Law in 1975.

From 1975 to 1980, Baer was also the deputy attorney general of Pennsylvania.

“His outstanding service and commitment to justice and honesty spanned decades on the bench – first as a family court judge in Allegheny County and finally as an administrative judge in family court before being elected to serve on the Supreme Court,” said Todd. “On behalf of the Court, we extend our deepest condolences to Chief Justice Baer’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Since Baer died, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has had to fill the seat he left open in the state’s highest court.