"The Robing Room: PA State Judges

Hon. Linda A. Cartisano	See Rating Details
Judge Common Pleas
Delaware County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 4.9 - 7 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 22 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

Add your own rating

E-Mail Address ()

* *

Confirm E-mail Address

* * *

Zip

Occupation

Add a comment only

Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

Please type what you see below:

Not an even number!

What others have said about Hon. Linda A. Cartisano

Comments

Litigant

Comment #: PA464
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This woman is a disgrace to the Judicial System. Someone needs to investigate every case she does. She destroys lives and families. How this woman ever got to be a Judge one wonders. I feel sorry for the Public and the Judges who actually serve justice. She needs to be investigated and should be removed from the bench. The trust in the justice system failed and people need to know what this woman has done to the very system the people believed in. Years of families destroyed. People need to get together and all tell their stories of the ignorance of this woman I would never call a Judge.

Other

Comment #: PA395
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Thankfully so far she seemed decent. I would be considered the bad parent but being a judge u are training Ned in people skills and knowing when one is lieing...my ex lied and withheld our children. When the allegations were about to be dropped his attorney said there might be abuse. Right before our continuance they submitted allegations that one child said I struck them. No mention of which child either and they had a witness. If she was not a smart lady and didn't see through their tactics then that makes someone not qualified. Thankfully she saw through their game but now my ex is still witholding and hiding them. I have video evidence of his abuse but yet had our next hearing. I have raised our children without him for 6 years and am not abusive. My ex got caught up with a new gf that seems to do this for fun with the men she goes through so fast. I only pray that our children are not permanently screwed up from this. They were already scheduled for therapy due to their fathers games and him getting them to turn on me is a disgrace. I hope this Judge uses her smarts to see the rest of their game. This all started over him refusing to ever pay child support. If all judges went on what the other side can put into evidence even when it makes no sense the timing or reasoning behind how or why then alot of good people would be screwed over bc they don't always play dirty games like their opponent. I personally have been in her position of seeing things for what they are before others do and get called rude things but what I learned is that if not for that sense I wouldn't have made so far in life. I tell my daughter who is in the same boat, don't against what God has shown to you just bc they haven't scene it yet. We all have a different gift or skill and no not everyones will be the same and that's why we all aren't a judge. Good day and God bless. Pray for our children no matter who they live with. Val

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: PA392
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The Judge has inherent biases, including favoring well known litigants that she knows and ignoring basic courtesy to those litigants whose attorneys are incompetent. Totally unqualified.

Litigant

Comment #: PA391
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Extremely biased judge. She ignores facts and uses her prejudice to make her decisions. If you’re a husband fighting for child custody in her courtroom, I’m afraid you’re screwed. Do anything you can to avoid going to trial in front of her.

Other

Comment #: PA304
Rating:2.0

Comments:
I'm a female, and I watched this judge be extremely biased against men in her decisions in the courtroom on 2/6/20 and again on 2/13/20. She would not allow important testimony from others when the cases directly involved them; she made assumptions and used those assumptions in place of evidence/facts in order to formulate her opinion; she also permitted heresy on the female's side of the litigation, but scolded the men when they attempted to do the same (none should have been permitted). She is not a fair judge AT ALL. I can see her hurting a lot of families, and putting a lot of children in harm's way by putting them in the hands of abusive women. She should be removed from the bench immediately. I gave her a 2 because she was willing to take on additional case loads of other judges, and she was willing to end the "continuance" cycle by coming to a decision the same day. Nonetheless, she doesn't deserve to be on the bench.

Other

Comment #: PA280
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I witnessed this judge practice her racist and negative views while hiding behind that robe. A disgrace in every sense of the word to the judical process. I met she makes the KKK, Skinheads, the David Dukes, and Rush Limbaugh's proud

Other

Comment #: PA275
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Linda Cartisano has used her influence to perpetuate nepotism outside of the courtroom through her "non profit" endeavors in fact profiting by proxy from those "favors". She has shown great favoritism and also great disdain for those who appear in her court who have any interaction with her family and friends. With family members that she supports through housing and stipends as fake household employees. She is morally bankrupt.

Litigant

Comment #: PA183
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Litigants will experience favorable or unfavorable bias. Their reviews will align with the bias of their experience. None will find an impartial jurist seeking truth and applying the law. This jurist is unfit by any and all standards.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: PA181
Rating:10.0

Comments:
So far, so good.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: PA177
Rating:10.0

Comments:
A fair and hardworking judge in a difficult division. Litigants that are being reasonable have nothing to fear. People forget custody cases are NOT about being fair to the parents. Judges have to make decisions based on what is fair and best for the children....even when it seems like it isn't right (think King Solomon).

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: PA132
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Horrible when dealing with alienation cases and cases that involve certain law firms. If the other side is represented by one of her favorites you may never see your kids again and you may never get any information about them again.

Litigant

Comment #: PA131
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This is a judge who has allowed one parent to hide information from another. She allowed this parent to hide information regarding colleges. Simple information that I am entitled to as I have JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY. She gave other parent permission to not have to provide me with the information so I have to make calls and the point is that she would make it horrible just to get simple information about your children.
She also was okay when this parent obtained passports and allowed them to leave the country. She was sent a letter stating that I had no idea where my kids were and she never once responded or did one thing regarding this matter.
She is a horrible example of someone who is there to maintain fairness. If the other parent has a certain law firm then you may never see or get information regarding your kids again.

Litigant

Comment #: PA128
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She will only make sure that she sides with the person who has the lawyer that she seems to favor. If you are lucky enough to have such a lawyer then you will be allowed to prevent the other parent from seeing their child.

Litigant

Comment #: PA127
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I would hope that this Judge is one day exposed for her continued neglect of evidence and allowing one side to manipulate and violate rights of another parent.

She may have prevented me from accessing information and seeing kids but she is not going to stop me from letting people know the truth about things that happened and how it went way to far.

She thought it was so clever to continue to allow one side to cancel many many therapy appts. and violate every right of another parent. Then she gives 3 appts that are allowed and does nothing that would prevent the other parent from canceling these appts. So why bother? This is her way of saying to bad for you now you will not have enough time to work anything out. How could you in 3 45 minute appts.
It is so disturbing that someone can be allowed to prevent one parent from ever seeing their kids or having any information about them. What kind of system is this. She will intimidate and now there is nothing left for her to intimidate over and I am free to tell the truth about her and the antics. The sad part is that she forgets about innocent kids that are the real victims. Something she seems to not really care about.

Litigant

Comment #: PA126
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
pa125

I did not mean to post as a DEFENSE lawyer.

I am a litigant in a case and was treated horribly from start to finish. I have been waiting for a year to get a ruling on a contempt matter. She refuses to do anything about . She has delayed and delayed things so kids will turn 18 and I will have no relationship with them because she refused to take any action when given proof that major things were lied about and done that were clearly not acceptable to anyone.
I have other avenues that I intend to take to address these issues. I have other issues that she has to rule on and refuse to even file because I know what she will do .

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: PA125
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is so obvious about who she likes and dislikes. If she doesn't like you and you do not have the correct lawyer you may never see your kids again.

Litigant

Comment #: PA124
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is horrible and allows one parent to obtain passports and allow kids to leave the country and never notify the other parent who has JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY.

She clearly has evidence to prove things are in such a way but instead ignores the evidence that proves what she wanted to believe.

She has allowed this same parent to not provide medical information and block access to academic information based on another lie that she was given evidence to prove it was a lie. She decided to do nothing.

Litigant

Comment #: PA101
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Similar to PA100's plight, Judge Cartisano rewards alienating parents, especially those who are active in the Bar Association, through her friends at the Master level. They have evidence of alienation from the Court appointed therapist, they hear the alienating parent state that they will not cooperate on co parenting and what does Judge and Master do? They continue to give alienating parent full legal and physical custody with no claim or allegations or of course proof of abuse. How long do we have to put up with this. And this Judge is so weak, she schedules conferences with attorneys and then blows them off, leaving her law clerk to handle them. She and Master Greg Hurchalla have no business or experience on the bench with regard to family law.

Litigant

Comment #: PA98
Rating:2.0

Comments:
I went to court and cam say that at the time I thought what was done was okay.
I did not think it was fair but I understood and felt that her claiming things should be reported was a way to protect things.
Well not only did it not no one acted on any complaints and there has been no one following orders and that has been allowed to go on and on and on and on.
What type of system allows one parent to send kids out of state with strangers and not tell the other legal custodian (aka parent).
Not only that but there were weeks allowed to pass before one important thing was done. Now there has been 6 weeks that has passed and no appts. The other parent is allowed to alienate and no DR lawyer or Judge seems to want to do one thing about it.
Maybe the actions taken by the judge in Michigan will force other judges to think out of the box before allowing one parent to destroy a relations with other parent and kids.
Who are these people that hink this is okay. They sit and do nothing even when hand delivered letters are brought to them. It is horrible and now I will have to bring as many witnesses to court as I need. I refuse to allow this to be continued again and refuse to let anyone blame not enough information and not enough this or that.
This system needs to be looked at because it does not hold relationships between kids and parents sacred at all.
It is more about never resolving anything so there are more billable hours for people. That is why I will bring an appellate lawyer with me to make sure that I have all that is needed to bring case before superior court. That is where this will end. This judge will do nothing as she did when she was given a hand delivered letter. I have nothing to loose by being aggressive about winning in court. At least that will make some people accountable.

Litigant

Comment #: PA94
Rating:9.0

Comments:
I thought Judge Cartisano was fair, compassionate, and impartial. I recently stood before Judge Cartisano, and while I didn't get all of the results I wanted, she explained the reasons behind her recommendations that I can understand. Me and my ex-wife were able to settle the matter without going through trial because of Judge Cartisano's direction.

From my short interaction with her, I find her as a thorough, no-nonsense judge who has command of her courtroom, and a good grasp of the issues of all parties. While I didn't agree with all of the Judge's views, I didn't need to. It's a court of law. I feel very satisfied that I walked out of that courtroom with what I sought when I entered it, justice.

The only reason she didn't get a 10 was because she ruled against me on a portion of my case! lol....All kidding aside, I felt Judge Cartisano was very fair and anyone standing before her should feel confident they will receive an impartial hearing/trial.

Litigant

Comment #: PA89
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This Judge has allowed the opposing lawyer to not approve a court order so that there was no court order passed along to judge for judge to sign until the opposing laywer agreed to everyting in the order. THis order included some things that Judge ordered and somehow now it is going to be the opposing lawyer who gets to decide what ie done and not done.

SO what we have here is the opposing lawyer is allowed to dicatate everything even after a judge ruled on these matters. I hope that someone anyone exposes all of this corruption and I hope the appellate court is alarmed at the behavoir of the judges in lower court. EVERYONE NEEDS to be alarmed over the behavoir of staff members who decide to be gate keepers of inforamtion. This is such horrible behavoir. They do nothing about anything. EVERYONE should be well aware that this will happen in lower court and be on guard and have a lawyer who is ready to fight about this. NO ONE should have to go thorugh this when trying to see their kids and going to therapy with their kids. HOW dare these people decide that kids can not leave school 2 hours early ONCE to go to first appt and instead makes a parent wait 6 more weeks to go to therapy when kids are older.

Litigant

Comment #: PA87
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This doesn't surprise me. She is so inconsistent. Almost two years waiting to hear a petition to modify so today we finally filed emergency petition to modify. If she denies it, opens up finally opportunity to go to Superior Court.

Litigant

Comment #: PA85
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Well it is not the start of week 3 and I have no court order. Alienators will always be allowed to do what they want because I suppose that JUDGE allows her gatekeeper to decide if she sees a court order or not. NOW i wasted all the time and money to not have a court order and not having her staff turning over what is going on. Her staff must play favorites and must not be giving judge the many requests for the judge to decide if kids can go to therapy and leave school 2 hours early.
My lawyer has asked many times for judge to be made aware of issues and has yet to givea response. So either judge never got to see many many messages or her staff has never given her many many messages.
SO now lets see what is ever going to happen. While I left court thinking it will be okay I now know that manythings can go on after court and other side can do what they want and never ever have any punishment. I will say this again ALIENATORS will always get to do what they want and JUDGES will allow this to go on and on and on.
I hope that one day this will all come out and everyone will be exposed for what they are.

Litigant

Comment #: PA84
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The more I think about this the more it sounds like there will need to be a complaint letter sent to head judge.

I will continue to do this until someone decides I am getting a court order. I am not allowing this to go on for another day. It has been 2 weeks since court an order was sent over and just because the other side did not agree then I am not allowed to have a court order. NO WAY. ENOUGH. I am sick of these people who play games and have favorites and want to look good on record but once you leave court NO WAY will you get an order that says what was decided in court. THIS IS A SICK system and I am not letting this go on. I am getting an order so I have an appeal and Ihave rights to take action against a corupt system. I am also asking DR to send a letter to JUDGE so that I have proof that she was made aware of what was going on and decided to do nothing. I think that maybe this was planned all along and that never giving an order was the game plan.
I get a message saying that judge needs to give permssion. Well if she ordered it why would she need to give permission.
So now tht is the new rule? Since when do I need permission when she already ordered it?
I want to expose this system and all the horrible people that allow this to happen. No parent should ever have to go through this just to get a therapy appt with kids.
What kind of judge allows this to go on. My rights are being taken away and judge is allowing this to contiunue on and on and on. She has no respect for a parents basic rights. I have a right to get info about my kids andI have right to see them. However this judge will allow this to continue on forever and says one thing in court and does opposite once out of court. What kind of system and people are these?????

Litigant

Comment #: PA81
Rating:1.0

Comments:
PA 80.... You do have a court order if it was placed in open court on the record. Despite what others may believe, a court order on the record can suffice. Just get a transcript from the Transcribing office in the main courthouse. The CD is about $10.

Cartisano in three cases I know of, including my own, sides with alientating parents, all of whom seem to have more money than others.

Second, so she can't be held accountable in Superior Court, she makes no decision or just waits. I have been waiting on a Petition to Modify since mid 2013.

Third, she has very little clue or doesn't care about actual statutes or civil procedures. The lawyer that yells the loudest wins.

The local press need to pushed to look into the practices of our family court system and I believe recall/impeachment proceedings should be taken for this municipal attorney who doesn't have children and is not much more than a political hack.

Very clear, you cannot modify custody at a contempt hearing where no petition to modify is currently before the court. Upheld in Superior Court at least three times since 2002. Yet she did it to me and gets away with it because she knows I don't have the funds for a Superior Court appeal.

Litigant

Comment #: PA79
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
There should be laws agaisnt Alineation. Delaware county does nothing to people who alienate and bring kids to court 9 times.
It is sad that judges ignore it and if your kids are older will even do less. There is case law about ages of kids and how that does not matter and should not matter. It should not be that someone has to take case to superior court to have laws be followed. I have been waiting close to a year to have an appeal hearing. WOW an entire year!!!. This is also against what code states which is 186 days. But that rule is never followed by one judge in delaware county. HE is allowed to say and do what he wants and bring kids into chambers and say horrible things to them. WHAT KIND OF system is this. Not to mention who is ever going to undo damages . NO ONE. I am sure it will be made worse and the same old things will be going on.

Litigant

Comment #: PA78
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I also had to spend the money to have 2 experts give opinions and that was of no importance to this judge or court. It was not important that I have not seen my kids for months. I am never ever ever letting this happen to anyone else

Had she or anyone read my petition they would have seen that my oldest turns 18 in one day and now she has prevented me from doing any therapy with her.
This judge also allowed the other lawyr to file a petition to end therapy but then never served my lawyer with it until 8 weeks later and claimed that it took that long to get her time stamped copy in the mail. WOW it takes 8 weeks to get these things.It is all a joke and now I even am ging to bring an appelate lawyr with me to court because iwant to make sure that we are all set up for superior court. NO ONE IS going to ever bully me and sabatoge my case. I have had it wth these judges thinking they can mess with someone and their kids and think it is no big deal.

I am done with this. I am going to fight these people and all their games and possible corruption.

I am going to go to any site and media outlet that will listen.
Lets see how that works. They allow a sick person to stop someone from seeing their kids and think this is okay. NO MORE of this ever.

Litigant

Comment #: PA76
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The recent comments confirm what I said (see comment PA 52) some time ago. This Judge is not only incompetent and unwilling to face her errors, she does not believe in parental alienation, despite medical evidence to the contrary. She continually violates rules of civil procedure, has no firm understanding of statutes, and has yet to sign her own order meant to "speed this case up" from November 2013. I would love to get with those who have suffered from what is incompetence in an impeachment campaign.

Litigant

Comment #: PA75
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge should not protect someone who is not following a court order and allowing this to continue even after an emergency petition was filed with medical expert opinions.

Litigant

Comment #: PA74
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge should take a stand on alienation and people who continually do not abide by court orders.

Ifiled emergency petition because I have not seen my kids in months and she never bothered to read it. I believe this because she set a hearing date for 4 weeks later on a date that was already set up,
This tells me that she is going to make sure that alienator gets away with his alienation.
How horibble is it that a judge would protect an alienator and do nothing to someone who never abides by a court order.

Litigant

Comment #: PA73
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I had filed an emergency petition which I believe was never even read. had it been an emergency hearing would not have been scheduled for a month later.
Now she has caused ex to make sure I no longer see kids. That is what she has allowed to happen and the court system will continue to do this until I get to superior court. That is why Inow have to bring an appelate lawyer to court with me so that I can make sure there is nothing done wrong and I can win in superior court.

Litigant

Comment #: PA71
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I have filed emergency petition and Ibelieve she never read it and had another judge do something to prevent me from going to superior court. So devious and such a horrible thing to do.

Litigant

Comment #: PA53
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Linda Cartisano has no business as politician sitting on the Bench in judgment of others.

Litigant

Comment #: PA52
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Cartisano has no knowledge of basic family law guidelines in Pennsyvlania and has clear issues in dealing with Pro Se litigants. She modified custody during a contempt hearing where no petition to modify custody was before the Court, in violation of guidelines and PHD v. RRD in PA Super, Langendorfer v. Spearman in PA Super, GA v. DL in PA Super. She has had 18 months to schedule a trial for custody and refuses to be expedient. She should be impeached.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: PA32
Rating:9.6

Comments:
This judge is my favorite in Delaware County in terms of being thoughtful, prepared, even-handed, and sharp. She knows family law and I wish that there were more judges like her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: PA3
Rating:1.6

Comments:
Judge Cartisano was clear with my attorney in conference what she believed which was not my position. Now I am going to court where she is the judge. Having a judge who expressed her position on the outcome before the actual hearing demands she recuse herself. She succumbs to the emotional energy in the room. I highly anxious she gets anxious and emotional.