Family Court Judge Arrested In Northeast Philly Domestic Violence Incident
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Michael Fanning, a sitting judge in Family Court has been arrested on domestic violence chargers after Philadelphia Police responded to his Milnor Street home during the evening of March 9, 2026. He has been a judge since 2014.
Prior to that, Fanning was an attorney in private practice and even did a short stint with the Bucks County District Attorney’s office when he graduated law school in the early 1990’s. Fanning has been suspended without pay and barred from the court building until his case is resolved, officials said.
Allowing him to remain on the bench would erode the public’s trust in the judicial system, court administrators said in a statement. The incident happened when an argument turned physical and Fanning is alleged to have punched and knocked a 58 year old female to the ground. A 30 year old female tried to stop the assault and she was dragged by her hair, police said. The relationship between Fanning and the females cannot be confirmed.
He is charged with Aggravated Assault, Strangulation, two counts of Simple Assault, and two counts of Reckless endangering another person. As of March 12, 2026 he has not been suspended from the practice of law by the bar association.