President Judge Cercone was born in Allegheny County on August 13, 1913. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and both an LL.B. and an honorary J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law. President Judge Cercone then served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Amphibious Forces during World War II.
In 1942, President Judge Cercone became an attorney for the Army Corps of Engineers in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Six years later, he assumed an Assistant District Attorney position for Allegheny County. He earned notability for his role in prosecuting Pennsylvania v. Nelson, the sedition trial of Communist Steven Nelson. This case garnered international attention; Nelson’s conviction was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court for conflicts between Pennsylvania and federal law.
Other positions President Judge Cercone held during this time included: president of the Stowe Township Board of Education, solicitor of Stowe Township, and solicitor of Stowe School District. President Judge Cercone became a special assistant United States Attorney in 1952, then two years later assumed the position of special Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
In May 1956, President Judge Cercone was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. During his tenure, he received the merit award of the Academy of Trial Lawyers. Additionally, he served as president of the Pennsylvania Judicial Inquiry and Review Board.
President Judge Cercone was elected to the Superior Court in 1968 and, over a decade later, was elected President Judge. He was the first president judge of the Superior Court to be from Allegheny County.
President Judge Cercone was an outspoken advocate for the effort to increase the size of the Superior Court in the 1970s. He arranged for the American Judicature Society to study the Superior Court, which resulted in a conclusion that the court was significantly overworked. Pennsylvania voters later approved an amendment to the state constitution that added eight additional judges to the court.
President Judge Cercone served on the Superior Court until August 1983, when he reached the mandatory retirement age. He stayed with the court as a senior judge for a number of years. President Judge Cercone passed away in January 2005.