Jaime Hickton

Jaime Hickton graduated from Duquesne School of Law in 2013. Passed the Bar in 2014 and has been actively practicing law for the 11 years since then. During Jaime’s career she has tried approximately 40 cases.

Jaime is a former union member, respected attorney and advocate with nearly 20 years experience in criminal defense, family law and juvenile justice. Raised in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Jaime is the first in her immediate family to attend college and proud to have put herself through Duquesne School of Law. Jaime’s blue-collar upbringing informs a strong work ethic and a relentless passion to fight for what’s right—skills she now brings to her legal practice to protect children and help clients navigate complex legal challenges. A former Judicial Law

Clerk and Child Abuse Prosecutor, Jaime is a Board Member for Planned Parenthood of Western PA and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. Jaime and her wife are proud parents of three adopted children—two with special needs—making Jaime uniquely qualified to understand and navigate the child welfare system. Fair, experienced and deeply compassionate, Jaime is ready to bring her experience to the bench.

Jaime Hickton – Questionnaire Response

1. Describe your legal experiences in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas including the Civil,Criminal, Family and Orphans Divisions and why these experiences qualify you to be a judge.
   
   In July of 2015, I accepted a position with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney.  After starting in the Screening Unit, I was promoted to handle trial prosecutions in the Juvenile Unit in approximately April of 2016.  In that role, I appeared in at least two courtrooms at least three days each week with a typical daily docket of approximately 30 or more cases.  I was often required to appear in two courtrooms to handle more than one docket.  Unique to the Juvenile Unit, I handled every type of juvenile delinquency matter including, but not limited to, misdemeanor thefts, felony and misdemeanor firearms offenses, felony rape of a child, and felony aggravated assaults.  I litigated at least 10 non-jury trials and numerous omnibus pre-trial motions.  I also litigated expungement requests, some of which were contested by the Commonwealth and necessitated hearings that required judicial decision/determination.  Additionally, one day each week, in matters where a family was active in both the juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency systems, those matters were heard as a “dual day.”  While participating in those proceedings, I gained valuable insight into the complexities and nuances of how those systems and services interact with and impact each other.  
   
   In February of 2019, I was promoted to the Child Abuse Unit, which was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases involving physical and sexual abuse of children.  During that period, I appeared in Allegheny County Criminal Court daily, and I tried to jury verdict at least three cases involving child physical and/or sexual abuse.  I litigated at least three non-jury trials, argued many pre-trial motions, and handled numerous preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Courts.  I also prosecuted a homicide case involving a child victim.  I worked regularly with city, county, and state law enforcement agents to investigate and identify child abusers to prosecute those matters on behalf of child victims.  I spent considerable time partnering with community-based organizations to facilitate services for victims and their families in an effort to end cycles of abuse and bring awareness to victims’ rights and needs.  During that time, I also worked with local, state, and federal leaders as a member of the Working Together LGBTQ+ Group which identified policies within the Allegheny County Jail (“ACJ”) that were not compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (“PREA”).  As a result of our efforts, our group was able to work with ACJ to gain PREA compliance which substantially improved standards and safety for LGBTQIA+ individuals who were housed at ACJ.   
   
   In April of 2020, I was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf as a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee where I served my full term until April of 2024.  In that role, I routinely worked with statewide members and stakeholders to plan, coordinate, and make policy recommendations to Governor Wolf and then Governor Josh Shapiro for the purpose of developing a comprehensive, long-range plan and related policies for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system.  We also worked together to set priorities for various juvenile justice-related projects that were supported by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s various funding streams to better support the juvenile justice systems across the Commonwealth.  
   
   In 2020, after more than 13 years in public service, I entered private practice.  I first joined a small law firm in Pittsburgh.  As a result of my time in both the criminal and family divisions in Allegheny County and Westmoreland County, I concentrated on representing plaintiffs and defendants in family law (divorce, custody, support, protection from abuse), criminal law, and child welfare matters. I maintained approximately 80 cases at any given time while working there, and I expanded my experience in appearing before multiple judges in the aforementioned divisions in Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Lawrence and Washington Counties.  In family law matters, I litigated several custody trials, juvenile delinquency and dependency adjudication proceedings, and protection from abuse final hearings.  During that time, I was also admitted into the Federal Public Defender – Western District of Pennsylvania’s CJA Panel Mentee Program where I was paired with CJA Panel Members to represent individuals who were charged with federal crimes in the Western District of Pennsylvania.  While in that program, I appeared before several United States District Court Magistrates and United States Federal Judges on behalf of criminal defendants in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
   
   In July of 2021, I left that firm to start my own law practice, The Law Office of Jaime M. Hickton.  Nearly all of my clients came with me, and I continued to represent individuals within the Juvenile Division (juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency), Family Division (divorce, custody, support, and protection from abuse matters), and Criminal Division in the aforementioned counties.  I also expanded my practice into Indiana County.  After successfully managing my solo law practice and increasing my footprint in the legal community, in April of 2022, I partnered with another colleague and former child abuse prosecutor to create Hickton + Stein Law Group, LLC.  Because my law partner had experience in civil litigation, employment and labor law, business and contract law, and estate planning, my practice areas expanded to support our ever-growing law firm.  We now manage four full time employees: a senior trial attorney, an associate attorney and two paralegals.  
   
   During my time in private practice, I tried to jury verdict three felony criminal cases, at least three criminal bench trials, multiple termination of parental rights matters, delinquency and dependency adjudications, and I’ve been appointed to represent at least three individuals in homicide matters in additional to dozens of other felony criminal matters.  I’ve also represented clients in adoption proceedings, landlord/tenant disputes, and civil matters before Magisterial District Court Judges.  In June of 2023, Washington County contracted with our law firm to provide legal representation as Special Solicitors in Juvenile Dependency matters where we represent Washington County Children & Youth Services as their Solicitor.  
   
   Having worked in the trenches as a juvenile probation officer, standing beside a parent or child when the state is trying to take that child away, or zealously arguing on behalf of a criminal defendant to avoid a lengthy prison sentence has given me a unique perspective on what really matters and the importance of the roles that we all play.  Judges have a unique ability to, positively or negatively, significantly impact the life of each and every person who appears before them.  For our society to function as it’s meant to, the system requires that we put people in judicial roles who intimately understand both the power and corresponding responsibility of a judge.  I believe that because of my lived personal and professional journey, most of which has been in public service, I possess a unique combination of experience, skill, and temperament that will aid my ability as a judge.  I spent almost 20 years in a courtroom, and I’ve worn every hat within it.  I’ve been a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney.  I’ve been a foster parent, parent attorney, child attorney, and attorney for the County in child welfare cases.  I’ve represented mothers, fathers, and grandparents in family law matters.  I’ve held all of these roles because I believe deeply that the system, as flawed as it may be, can protect and advance justice if we have the right people in these positions of power and responsibility.  That is why I’m running for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge and I hope to earn your support. 
   
   
2. Briefly describe something you have done as an attorney that you are especially proud of and why you are proud of that work.
   
   Now that I’m the founding partner of a law firm, I get to decide which clients to represent and how to conduct my business.  I’ve worked hard to build my practice to the point where we can sustain our economic growth while also dedicating a significant portion of our practice to representing marginalized individuals.  I devote a significant portion of my practice to representing low-income or pro bono clients involved in the child welfare system and the juvenile delinquency system.  In that I’ve worn every hat within those systems (both personally as a foster parent who adopted all three of my children from that system and professionally in all of my positions), I am able to advocate for marginalized people within those systems in a unique way.  I believe we all have a responsibility to give and serve others when we have the ability and means to do so and I feel it is my duty to give back.  In one of the cases that I handled; a young black mother had her four children removed from her because a caseworker within the system essentially didn’t like her.  
   
   Before we took the case, the caseworker clearly only communicated certain parts of the facts to the Court for the purpose of convincing the judge to remove the children and to proceed towards termination of parental rights.  When we took over the case, we were able to compel all of the information/facts and present other community support witnesses and the result was not only that all four of her children were returned, but the case was successfully closed.  We’ve earned similar results in numerous cases for clients who couldn’t afford to hire seasoned and aggressive advocates.  I prioritize taking those cases where low-income and/or marginalized parents and family members have been harmed by the system because I believe that everyone deserves justice in the courtroom and that justice shouldn’t just be accessible for the wealthy.
   
   
3. If elected, describe how you would balance the use of restorative justice tools against delivering procedural justice for the victims of crime and ensuring public safety.
   
   Restorative justice should be the core of what any justice system produces. Since my time as a juvenile probation officer and even now as a criminal defense attorney, I have always focused my efforts on identifying underlying issues and unmet needs to address the root cause(s) of system involvement. Restorative justice seeks to understand the “why” of system involvement and to then focus on providing services and support to help people receive the necessary help so they can get out of the system and avoid being involved in the future.  If elected, I would strive to understand the “why” in each case that comes before me so I can work to repair the harm caused to the victim (i.e. payment of restitution, return of property, victim awareness training for offenders, etc.), rehabilitate the actor (i.e. drug and alcohol assessments and/or treatment, mental health assessments and/or treatment, trauma therapy and/or other evidence-based therapy or services, job readiness programs and/or training, housing assistance and/or connection to housing providers, education assistance and/or training, etc.), and protect the community (i.e. utilize diversionary programs like electronic monitoring, community-based supervised housing, drug and alcohol treatment programs, etc).  
   
   If the system attempts to understand the “why” and provide the necessary supports and services, the goal is that the individual will not reoffend and thus the community will be safer.  However, there are certainly instances where, despite the best efforts of the system and the professionals working within the system that the individual fails to comply and reoffends.  In that scenario, the Courts have a duty to reassess the matter to determine whether the community will be safe if the individual is re-released or whether any set of conditions exist that would allow for release with the community being safe.  The system should never strive to incarcerate people unless it is absolutely necessary, but it is a difficult balance because the community and crime victims also deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their community.  If I am elected, I would apply the tenets of restorative justice in every case I handle, regardless of whether the division itself has traditionally worked to apply restorative justice and I would utilize evidence-based programs to work towards repairing the harm to victims, rehabilitating offenders, and ensuring public safety. 
   
   
4. If you are one of the candidates who was recently appointed to the Court of Common Pleas by Gov. Shapiro, and the President Judge has assigned you to a division other than the Family Division, please explain how your professional experience will inform your approach to serving in that Division.
   
   As explained within my answer above in Question 1, I have a significant amount of experience in the Family Division.  I was a judicial law clerk in that division before I became a trial attorney.  I’ve handled simple and complex family law matters since entering private practice in 2020.  My legal experience has taught me that most family law matters are extremely emotional and difficult because, as a judge, you’re handling the most intimate part of people’s deeply personal lives.  Often times individuals are fighting over their children and in some cases, extremely private details of a marital relationship come out during contentious divorce litigation.  Most of my clients never anticipated that they would have to share that part of their life with anyone, let alone a judge who does not know them and is not seeing the case through their lens.  I’ve experienced volatile matters and high conflict cases in all of the roles that I’ve had which is why I believe I’m uniquely qualified to sit in judgement of others.  
   
   It’s much easier to stay fair and calm under pressure when you focus on why you’re involved in a case.  When I was a juvenile probation officer, I recommended placement for a juvenile because she was not safe in her home; there was a substantial amount of drug addiction and domestic violence with her mother and her mother’s paramour.  Her father had unexpectedly passed away and she did not have any relatives or friends that could take her in.  There was no other option and it was necessary to place her for a period of time in a safe and stable environment, but after the judge agreed and placed her out of home, her mother confronted me in the hallway of the courthouse.  She became very aggressive towards me and threatened me in a way that required the sheriffs to intervene.  
   
   Through it all, I maintained my composure and told her that I was sorry for having to recommend removal, but that we would work together to develop a plan to get her daughter back home.  While it was a tense situation, I understood that to her, I was the reason her daughter had been removed.  I also understood that my role was to make safety recommendations and that, while this was extremely personal to her, I was doing my job.  If a judge understands that their role is to be a fair arbiter and to seek truth and justice, a judge should not be bothered by the emotional response of litigants because litigants are often in the courtroom as a result of extremely personal and difficult matters.  Most litigants don’t want to be there and they don’t want someone else making decisions about significant matters in their lives.  If a judge focuses on their role, they should be able to be fair and stay calm under pressure.  As a result of my extensive experience in those very circumstances, I believe that I will be fair and calm in those situations and that is why I believe that I am uniquely qualified to serve as a judge.   

JAIME HICKTON – Writing Sample