JUDGE
Ramy Djerassi
20 years of public service dispensing justice through judgment with compassion and mercy.
A commitment to the community
“My commitment on the bench is to continue seeking justice…to create more and better chances for our communities, and to never give up on people.”
– Judge Djerassi
MEET JUDGE DJERASSI
Judge Ramy Djerassi is currently a new member of the Orphans’ Court of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, First Judicial District (“FJD”) - one of the oldest courts in the United States. He was appointed by former Governor Edward Rendell in 2003, elected a few months later, and was retained twice - first in 2013 and again in 2023. Judge Djerassi is known for decisions that mix judgment by rule of law with compassion and empathy. He has overseen Criminal, Juvenile and Product Liability cases, employs alternative sentencing when appropriate, and is a leader in reentry reform. He is the founder two community-impact organizations, Philadelphia's Prisoner Reentry Network (now the Philadelphia Network of Care for Prisoner Reentry) and The Accountability Project. Judge Djerassi was recommended for judicial retention by the Philadelphia Bar Association, and endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee and the Philadelphia Republican City Committee.
Judge Djerassi at a glance
Years serving the Philadelphia community from the bench.
Years serving as co-chair of the FJD Education Committee.
Times he was able to reverse death sentence rulings as private litigator.
Runaway children found while presiding over Family Court.
Making an impact in the Philadelphia community for 20+ years
Philadelphia’s Prisoner Reentry Network
Now the Philadelphia Network of Care for Prisoner Reentry, Judge Djerassi co-founded one of the nation’s first web-based directories for courts and their parolees in 2013. At the time of its founding, the website served as a one-stop-shop for former inmates and their families to find assistance in reacclimating to daily life, logging everything from mental health resources and insurance information, to how to get proper identification.
The Accountability Project
In 2021, Judge Djerassi founded The Accountability Project, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing recidivism by lowering drop-out rates among persons judges assign to attend drug addiction, education, and job training programs. The Accountability Project uses a special QR code system to monitor attendance in real time.
Paid for by Ramy Djerassi