Experience

Oscar J. Petite Jr., J.D. is currently the elected Magisterial District Judge serving the Hill District, Downtown, and Strip District communities. After winning the primary election in May of 1995, he appeared before the full Pennsylvania Senate, where he was appointed to the seat early to fill the then vacant position. On October 12, 1995, he took the bench for the first time, and after winning the November general election, he began his full six-year term in January of 1996. 

As a sitting judge, he serves at Pittsburgh Municipal Court, presiding over the following courts: criminal, traffic, non-traffic, domestic violence, arraignment, child’s court, and homicide hearings. His district office was in the downtown area for almost 50 years, including 22 years while he was a judge. Seven years ago, he moved his office back to the Hill District, where it all started, re-establishing the community district court. His office is centrally located on the main drag, accessible to members of his community and members of other communities his court serves. In the district court, he presides over matters involving civil litigation, landlord and tenant, building code violations, truancy, and non-traffic citations approved by the deputy district attorney. He has performed hundreds of weddings, swearing-in ceremonies, and answered thousands of legal questions as part of his service to the community. In addition to all of his judicial duties, in November of 2023 he was asked by then President Judge Kim Clark to be the designated judge presiding over a new initiative called the Downtown Court Project (DCP) which began in January of 2024 to assist individuals charged with minor criminal offenses within the Central Business District of Pittsburgh to reduce entanglement with the criminal justice system and support reintegration. He is the only judge to preside over these cases exclusively. Prior to his election to the bench, Judge Petite was a county adult probation officer for over eight years. He has been a faithful public servant for over 37 years. 

Of the many professional associations that he has been a part of, he is currently a member of the Special Court Judges Association of Pennsylvania, where he serves on the Crimes Code Committee and is a member of the Carnegie Mellon Black Alumni Association. Throughout his career, he has served on several boards, and his many volunteer efforts have enabled him to play a major role in the economic, social, and political development of the community, along with his untold countless acts of kindness. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Nabhi Christian ministries also participated many times in their annual coat drive and Christmas party, where he judged the “gingerbread houses” before the toy giveaway.  He is a founding member of the Thelma Lovette YMCA where he is also a volunteer certified spin instructor; Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club member participating in countless rides and cycling events; Ruach Cycling Club volunteer teaching kids how to ride bikes and bicycle safety;  a member of Bike PGH and a Pedal Pittsburgh participant and volunteer including organizing a group of black riders to participate in “Open Streets” which in the summer of 2024 included the Hill District on its route for the first time. In July of 2024, Judge Petite completed a 350-mile six-day ride with other black cyclists from the Hill district to Washington, DC. This was his second such adventure, and he has completed several shorter three- and four-day rides to Maryland. He currently enjoys his partnership with Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts and the Hill District Consensus Group, conducting workshops on landlord and tenant law, expungements, and preparation for going to court. He has a workshop scheduled in March at the Hill District Carnegie Library. 

Judge Petite attended the Pittsburgh public schools, graduating from Fifth Avenue High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in Psychology and Administration & Management Science, and his Juris Doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law in 2001. He is currently certified by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and has been certified annually throughout his entire career. 

Judge Petite is a life-long resident of the Hill District and resides with his wife of 42 years Sheila. They have 2 children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is a life-long member of the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church and is a member of the board of trustees. Giving back was something he learned from his late parents Bertha and Oscar Petite Sr. who gave tirelessly to their community. He is the last surviving child of his parents four boys.