Hilary K. Wheatley

Judicial Experience

In 2021, Hilary Wheatley was overwhelming elected by voters in Dormont and Mt. Lebanon to serve as Magisterial District Judge. In that capacity, she has presided over more than 1000 preliminary hearings in criminal cases, included several dozen cases involving homicide charges; has set bail for more than 1000 defendants; and has heard thousands of summary criminal, traffic, civil, building code, truancy and landlord-tenant cases. She has jurisdiction over applications for search and arrest warrants, as well as petitions for Emergency Protection from Abuse Orders. She has authority to administer the oath of office for elected officials and law enforcement officers. And she has had the honor of officiating more than 100 weddings.

Background

Judge Wheatley was born and raised in Worthington, Ohio. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University. At OSU, Hilary was selected for the university’s club soccer team, was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, and volunteered with Court Appointed Special Advocates. After college, Hilary moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to attend The Dickinson School of Law. During her time at Dickinson, she was named to the Trial Moot Court Board, interned with the York County Public Defender’s Office, and worked as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Legal Career

Judge Wheatley passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam in 2002 and the Ohio Bar Exam in 2005. She began her legal career in 2002 as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable John C. Uhler, in the Court of Common Pleas of York County. From 2003 to 2007, she was a trial attorney with a consumer rights protection law firm, litigating automobile-related cases across the Commonwealth and in Ohio on behalf of Pennsylvania consumers. In 2007, Hilary joined Papernick & Gefksy, focusing on civil litigation and real estate matters. She stills serves in an of counsel role with P&G, mentoring younger colleagues and advising condominium and homeowner’s associations. Over the course of her legal career, Hilary has represented clients and tried cases before judges and juries in dozens of counties across the Commonwealth, as well as in Ohio. She has successfully argued cases before the Pennsylvania Superior Court, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Hilary is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Special Court Judges Association of Pennsylvania. Prior to taking the bench as a Magisterial District Judge, Hilary served as an arbitrator, mediator, and pro bono attorney for Allegheny County’s Housing Court and Arbitration Division.

Community Life

Hilary has lived in Mt. Lebanon since 2005. From 2006-2016, Hilary was a member of the Mt. Lebanon Junior Women’s Club and served as President from 2008-2009. She chaired MLJWC’s 2007 annual gala, which raised more than $60,000 for programs at The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. In 2016, Hilary re-established the Women’s Club of Mt. Lebanon, a local nonprofit first founded in 1924, with four friends who were also former Presidents of MLJWC. She led the Women’s Club of Mt. Lebanon as President through 2021, when she stepped down to focus on her judicial duties. Before taking the bench, Judge Wheatley also served as the Chairperson of the Mt. Lebanon Zoning Hearing Board and on the Mt. Lebanon Appeals Board.

Since 2022, Hilary has been a frequent volunteer for events organized by the Mt. Lebanon Partnership. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Dormont Community Development Corporation, where she is particularly active on the Dormont Pride planning committee.

Home Life

Hilary is the proud mom of a 13 year-old son. She relishes her role as Assistant Coach of his Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association travel team. She is a voracious reader, new bowling league member, avid traveler, and the enthusiastic captain of her kickball team. Having been raised in a family of Ohio State alumni, Hilary can often been found wearing red to show her Buckeye spirit.