Judge Sydney Hoffman was born in Reading, Berks County, on July 14, 1908. He attended Albright College, Dickinson Law School, and took graduate courses at both the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.
Judge Hoffman began his career by taking over his father’s law practice in Reading. Later, he moved to Philadelphia and joined a practice with family friends. Judge Hoffman was active in the community with an emphasis on Democratic reform politics.
In 1956, Judge Hoffman was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. Here, he gained a reputation for his expertise in juvenile law. Eight years later, Judge Hoffman was elected to the Superior Court.
During his tenure on the Superior Court, Judge Hoffman established the Philadelphia Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition Program, or ARD, for first-time offenders. The Supreme Court later adopted ARD throughout Pennsylvania. In the Superior Court’s 1998 Annual Report, ARD is commended: “[ARD] has enabled countless thousands of Pennsylvanians through the past four decades to rise above a minor infraction and pursue purposeful lives without the stigma of a criminal record.” In addition to his Superior Court duties, Judge Hoffman adjudicated ARD cases two to three days a week.
In July 1978, Judge Hoffman reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 and transitioned into a senior judge of the Superior Court. Judge Hoffman continued to reform the judicial system: in 1980, he initiated the Supreme Court Settlement Conference system to resolve cases in a shorter timeframe. The National Center for State Courts praised this program as one of the most successful case settlement programs in the nation. Judge Hoffman served on the Superior Court as a senior judge until his death in June 1998.