Attorney Kelly M. Ciravolo testified in front of the Senate State Government Committee in Harrisburg on Monday, October 27, 2025.
SB 125 is the latest effort to undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
Harrisburg, PA – On October 27, 2025, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ) testified in front of the Senate State Government Committee regarding Senate Bill 125 (SB 125), a Joint Resolution proposing amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania removing from the Judicial Branch the power to determine lawsuit venue and placing this power into the hands of the Legislature.
PAJ President Eric Weitz and PAJ board member Kelly Ciravolo delivered joint testimony in front of the Committee.
An excerpt from their testimony is below:
“Across the nation and within the Commonwealth, the independence of the courts face mounting risks that, taken together, exceed anything in recent decades. There is a growing pattern of rhetoric that seeks to delegitimize lawful judicial decisions by labeling them ‘political’ whenever outcomes are unpopular or contrary to the proponent’s desires. Such attacks, especially when coordinated or amplified by those wielding governmental power, can chill judicial decision-making and erode public trust. Efforts to turn courts into compliant arms of the political branches undermine the constitutional promise that disputes will be decided by impartial arbiters according to law. The current law levels the playing field and treats all parties equally. Removing critical aspects of the Judiciary’s power and independence are unnecessarily destructive, especially during such vulnerable times.”
Kelly M. Ciravolo is a partner at Anzalone & Doyle Trial Lawyers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Kelly is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Association of Justice, American Association of Justice, Northeastern Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association. Kelly has a B.A. in English Literature from Wilkes-University, and a J.D. from the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.
Eric H. Weitz is the President of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. Eric, a patient safety expert, is founder of The Weitz Firm, LLC, serves on the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority Board, and holds a Johns Hopkins certification in patient safety. Eric teaches trial advocacy at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School and Villanova Law.
