R. Emmett Madden, a longtime and active resident of Jenkintown who has run a law office in the Borough for more than 15 years, recently took an oath of office as the new Magisterial District Court judge in Montgomery County.

Madden’s jurisdiction encompasses Jenkintown, Elkins Park, Melrose Park and Cheltenham Village. His six-year term begins in January 2024.

The attorney has previously worked as a child advocate social worker and a public defender and is the father of two adult sons. He has served on the board of the Jenkintown Library and later as an elected Jenkintown councilman and chairperson of the public safety committee.

“I’ve been in Jenkintown for 30 years and have been a council person and raised my family there and this is another way to give back and serve the community. I think I bring an important perspective,” Madden said. “I come from the background of being an advocate for the indigent and poor and so I think I bring a good, balanced perspective to the bench.”

According to The Reporter, District court judges preside over criminal preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings, summary criminal offenses, traffic offenses, municipal code violations, landlord/tenant disputes, and civil claims where damages do not exceed $12,000.

From his biography via The Philly Lawyers:

In his spare time, he cooks, competes in Triathlons, and rides and races his many bicycles. He is a proud sponsor and Board Member of Guy’s Racing Club, a cycling club with over 100 members. He is a passionate advocate for cycling and cyclists, cycling safety, and successfully winning in court for injured cyclists.

For additional coverage, you can read The Reporter’s article here. For Emmett’s judge campaign, you can click here. For more on Madden and his law office, you can click here.

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Photo courtesy of ThePhillyLawyers.com