Daniel Baranoski
Judge Daniel Baranoski has served as a Magisterial District Judge in Bucks County since January, 2008.
Judge Daniel Baranoski grew up in Northeast Philadelphia. After graduating in the top 20 of the 456 in his class from Archbishop Ryan High School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University, having been bestowed with Magna Cum Laude honors, in 1987. Judge Baranoski also attended West Chester University towards a Master of Science degree in Organizational Management and the University of Phoenix in pursuit of a Master of Science Degree in Administration. He was later accepted into Temple Beasley School of Law in 2013.
Judge Baranoski was hired by the Middletown Township Police Department in 1985 and attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, where he was president of his graduating class. He was promoted in 1990 to the rank of Detective and has had a distinguished career as a member of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. He has extensive experience investigating such major crimes as homicide, rape, robbery, arson, burglary, theft and fraud. Dan’s specialty, however, is in drug law enforcement. He has considerable training in narcotics investigation and has made some of the biggest drug and asset seizures in Bucks County’s history. Dan was the detective who seized over a million dollars in cash from a drug dealer in Langhorne in 1990 and also seized a 130 acre estate hourse farm and 27 thoroughbred horses in Quakertown in 1992. He was also a sworn Bucks County Detective, Drug Enforcement Administration Agent, and United States Customs Officer as many of his cases went national and international. In 1991, Dan Baranoski was named Police Officer of the Year for his efforts in drug abuse prevention in the community. He won the Service to the Community Award for 2003 for creating the NAIVE Program, an award-winning, drug education and prevention program. In 2006, Dan was presented the prestigious National Liberty Museum’s Award of Valor. Dan retired from law enforcement in November 2007 after a long and successful career.
Dan has also been a volunteer for several community organizations, such as Bucks County Community Foundation (President 2016 to 2023), Hulmeville Soccer, the Middletown Community Foundation (President 2011-2013), Easter Seals, the Middletown Township Drug and Alcohol Commission, the NAIVE Program, and Our Lady of Grace Church, the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission (Chairman 2012-2014) among others.
Because of Dan’s unique experience with drug law enforcement, drug education and drug prevention throughout the community, he has been a proponent and leader in the drug court diversion process in Bucks County to combat the opioid crisis. He was on the steering panel and assisted in developing Bucks County’s District Court Diversion Program. Judge Baranoski is also respected as a jurist among his peers. He was President of the Bucks County Magisterial District Judge Association from 2010-2011 and has been active in the Special Court Judges Association of Pennsylvania (SCJAP), having been elected into leadership roles by over 515 judges across the Commonwealth to serve as President of the SCJAP from 2020-2021.
Judge Baranoski was appointed to the Court of Judicial Discipline by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on November 5, 2020. The Court of Judicial Discipline has jurisdiction over all judicial officers in Pennsylvania and must hear and decide formal charges which are filed against a judicial officer. Judicial officers include all magisterial district judges; judges of the Courts of Common Pleas, the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court; and justices of the Supreme Court. The Court of Judicial Discipline has the authority to impose sanctions, ranging from a reprimand to removal from office, if the formal charges are sustained. Judge Baranoski was elected and honored to serve as President Judge of this court in 2024.
Judge Baranoski resides in Langhorne, Pennsylvania with his wife Kathleen. Dan and Kathy are blessed with two wonderful adult daughters.