YORK COUNTY, Pa. — On June 3, the York County Court of Common Pleas on June 3 elected the Honorable Judge Maria Musti Cook as its next President Judge.
She will be the first female to serve as president judge for York County, Public Information Director Mark Walters said Monday in a press release.
Musti Cook will begin her five‐year term overseeing the Court on Jan. 2, 2021. She will succeed the Honorable President Judge Joseph Adams, who will serve the remainder of 2020 as President Judge.
Musti Cook is no stranger to breaking barriers for women within the local legal community. She was also the first female president of the York County Bar Association in 1995 and the York County Bar Foundation in 1996.
York County’s Common Pleas judges unanimously selected Musti Cook to be the county’s next president judge. She has served as the supervising judge for both the criminal and family court sections.
“I had the pleasure of being elected along with Judge Musti Cook in 2005,” Adams said in the press release announcing Musti Cook's election. “In that time she has displayed all the attributes of an outstanding judge. I have no doubt that she will also excel as the next president judge.”
Musti Cook was first seated as a common pleas judge to Pennsylvania’s 19th Judicial District in January of 2006. She is a graduate of York Catholic High School and York College of Pennsylvania and received her law degree from The Dickinson School of Law.
“The Commissioners’ Office has a solid working relationship with President Judge Adams and Court Administration and I look forward to continued collaboration under President Elect Judge Cook so we can collectively serve our York community,” President Commissioner Julie Wheeler said.
Musti Cook and Wheeler co‐chair the Stepping Up Initiative for York County, which focuses on reducing or diverting the number of individuals with mental health diagnoses from incarceration. She also serves as a member of the county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board.
Musti Cook is a member of the Pennsylvania State Trial Judges Ethics Committee, and serves her alma mater, York College, as a member of the Board of Trustees. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award from the college.
Musti Cook is also a member of the Rotary Club of York and the Women’s Giving Circle.
“I am honored and humbled to have received the support of my colleagues on the bench,” Musti Cook said. “I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of York County in this new role. The members of the bench continue to work towards improving access to the justice system for all individuals who are in need and streamlining the process wherever possible while guaranteeing a full and fair opportunity to be heard.”
