Powell v. Philadelphia Cnty. Dist. Attorney's Off., 50 A.3d 1263 (Pa. 2012). · Go Syfert
Powell v. Philadelphia Cnty. Dist. Attorney's Off., 50 A.3d 1263 (Pa. 2012). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“in determining whether a party is indispensable, the basic inquiry remains 'whether justice can be done in the absence of a third party.”
105 citation events (105 in the last 25 years) across 4 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Black Pol. Emp. v. Schmidt, A. (pa, 2024-09-13)
Treatment trajectory · 2013 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
2013 2019 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 30 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (quoted) Black Pol. Emp. v. Schmidt, A.
Pa. · 2024 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence low
in determining whether a party is indispensable, the basic inquiry remains 'whether justice can be done in the absence of a third party.
cited Cited as authority (rule) USAA Federal Savings v. Belfi, A.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2025 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012).
cited Cited as authority (rule) USAA Federal Savings v. Belfi, A.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2025 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Rehab Financial Group v. Grimes, B.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2025 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012) (citation omitted).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Simone, N., Aplt. v. Zakiul Alam, M.
Pa. · 2025 · confidence medium
Simone notes the basic inquiry is [J-92-2024] - 10 “whether justice can be done in the absence of a third party,” Wilson, 50 A.3d at 1277, and this Court has outlined at least four factors a trial court analyzing the indispensable party question must consider: 1.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Cavallo Mineral Partners v. EQT Production
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2025 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 616 Pa. 491 , 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., 536 Pa. 462 , 640 A.2d 372, 375 (1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Zimmerman, D., Aplts v. Schmidt, A.
Pa. · 2024 · confidence medium
Dev., 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012) (“In determining whether a party is indispensable, the basic inquiry remains whether justice can be done in the absence of a third party.” (internal quotation marks omitted)); Sprague v. Casey, 550 A.2d 184, 189 (Pa. 1988) (“A party is indispensable when his or her rights are so connected with the claims of the litigants that no decree can be made without impairing those rights. . . .
cited Cited as authority (rule) Washington Area Humane v. Harr, C.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2022 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., 640 A.2d 372, 375 ([Pa.] 1994).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Liberty Mutual Group v. 700 Pharmacy, LLC (3×) also: Cited "see"
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2022 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012) (PSEA) (citation omitted).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Liberty Mutual Group v. 700 Pharmacy, LLC
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2021 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012) (citation omitted).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Walker, D. v. Maffeo, M.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2020 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. -7- J-A18011-20 Commonwealth, … 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 ([Pa.] 2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., … 640 A.2d 372, 375 ([Pa.] 1994).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Blackmon, D. v. Moore, Z.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2020 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, … 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 ([Pa.] 2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., … 640 A.2d 372, 375 ([Pa.] 1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) County of Berks v. PA OOR and ALDEA - The People's Justice Center
Pa. Commw. Ct. · 2019 · confidence medium
Wilson , 50 A.3d at 1265-66, 1276-77 (action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief by individual school employees and educators' union in case regarding access to home addresses of public school employees; records requests were made to individual school districts and union and school employees brought original jurisdiction action in this Court after discovering that many school districts would not challenge the release of information); Grine , 138 A.3d at 91 (action for declaratory and injunctive relief by two court of common pleas judges to prohibit county in which the judges sat from rel…
cited Cited as authority (rule) Purcell v. Reading School District
Pa. Commw. Ct. · 2017 · confidence medium
Wilson v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 616 Pa. 491 , 50 A.3d 1263, 1270 (2012). .
examined Cited as authority (rule) PSEA v. DCED Cross Appeal of: OOR (5×)
Pa. · 2016 · confidence medium
Id. at 1274-75.
examined Cited as authority (rule) Pennsylvania State EduCation Ass'n ex rel. Wilson v. Commonwealth, Department of Community & Economic Development (4×)
Pa. · 2016 · confidence medium
Id. at 1274-75.
examined Cited as authority (rule) Pennsylvania State Ed. Assoc., Aplt v. DCED (5×)
Pa. · 2016 · confidence medium
Id. at 1274-75.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Reed v. Farabaugh Appeal of: Farabaugh, T.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2016 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012) (citation omitted).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Northern Forests II, Inc. v. Keta Realty Co.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2015 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, [], 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa.2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., [], 640 A.2d 372, 375 (Pa.1994).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Northern Forests II, Inc. v. Keta Realty Co.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2015 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, [ 616 Pa. 491 ], 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa.2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., [ 536 Pa. 462 ], 640 A.2d 372 , 375 ,(Pa.1994).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Northern Forests II, Inc. v. Keta Realty Co.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2015 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, [], 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa.2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., [], 640 A.2d 372, 375 (Pa.1994). - 12 - J-A22016-15 This Court has held that in a quiet title action, all parties who claimed title to the property at issue must be joined as indispensable parties.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Orman, L. v. Mortgage I.T.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2015 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commomvealth, 616 Pa. 491 , 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (2012), quoting CRY, Inc. v. Mill Serv., Inc., 536 Pa. 462 , 640 A.2d 372, 375 (1994).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Pennsylvania State Education Ass'n ex rel. Wilson v. Commonwealth, Department of Community & Economic Development (4×)
Pa. Commw. Ct. · 2015 · confidence medium
The Supreme Court agreed with Petitioners’ “central position that the OOR may fairly be regarded as an indispensable party to their efforts to secure a just, timely, and meaningful judicial resolution of their claims.” Id. at 1274-75.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Lang, D. v. Shaffer, T.
Pa. Super. Ct. · 2014 · confidence medium
Dev., 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (Pa. 2012).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Governor's Office v. Office of Open Records, Aplt. (13×) also: Cited "see"
Pa. · 2014 · confidence medium
Id. at 1275.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Bowling v. Office of Open Records
Pa. · 2013 · confidence medium
Ass’n v. Commonwealth, 616 Pa. 491 , 50 A.3d 1263, 1278-81 (2012) (Castille, C.J., concurring).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Levy v. Senate of Pennsylvania
Pa. · 2013 · confidence medium
Assn. v. Com., Dept. of Community and Economic Development, 50 A.3d 1263, 1278 (Pa.2012) (Cas-tille, J., concurring).
examined Cited as authority (rule) Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Mohn (3×)
Pa. Commw. Ct. · 2013 · confidence medium
Wilson v. Commonwealth, — Pa.-, 50 A.3d 1263, 1277 (2012) (citing Pennsylvania State Education Association v. Commonwealth, 4 A.3d 1156, 1162 (Pa.Cmwlth.2010)), “determining whether ‘the privacy exception and its attendant balancing test have continued viability under the new Law is a proposition fraught with challenge.’” To explain why it is “fraught with challenge,” a short history of the right to privacy vis a vis public records is in order.
discussed Cited "see, e.g." City of Harrisburg v. Prince, J., Aplt.
Pa. · 2019 · signal: see also · confidence medium
Dev., 50 A.3d 1263 , 1275–76 (Pa. 2012) (“PSEA I”); see also id. at 1279 (Castille, J., concurring) (observing that “the OOR may be in the best position to devise an adequate procedure governing all appeals to the OOR that complies with and promotes uniformity in the OOR's administration of the [RTKL]”).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." In Re: Enforcement of Subpoenas b/f the Bd of Med.
Pa. · 2019 · signal: see also · confidence medium
See Ballroom, LLC v. Commonwealth, 984 A.2d 582, 588 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2009) (“[I]t is well settled that merely naming the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth party as one of several defendants does not necessarily establish this Court’s original jurisdiction under Section 761.”); see also PSEA, 50 A.3d at 1281-82 (Todd, J., concurring) (“[C]ase law clarifies that naming a Commonwealth agency is not enough to satisfy the jurisdictional requirement; the agency must also be an indispensable party.”).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Kevin POWELL
v.
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Court of Common Pleas
No. 74 EM 2012.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Aug 21, 2012.
50 A.3d 1263

ORDER

PER CURIAM.

AND NOW, this 21st day of August, 2012, the Application for Leave to File Original Process is GRANTED, and the Petition for Writ of Mandamus is DENIED.