Court-Appointed Employee's Partisan Political Activity

In In re Marjorie Dobson, 517 Pa. 19, 534 A.2d 460 (1987), our Supreme Court analyzed guidelines it issued to court-appointed employees regarding partisan political activity. Dobson was an elected tax collector who, during her elected term, became a staff member to a common pleas judge. After her appointment to the court staff position she sought leave to complete the remainder of her elected term without resigning her position with the court, arguing the Supreme Court's guidelines only prohibited running for office, not holding office. The Supreme Court found the prohibition contained in its guidelines encompassed not only running for public office but also holding public office.