He was appointed to the bench by Governor Tom Ridge in 2001, and was elected to the first of two 10-year terms later that year,[5][7] receiving the most vote among 14 candidates. After his election, he requested to be assigned to the family division, where he felt he could have the most significant societal impact,[8] and has prided himself on helping families and children during his judicial career.[9] Dougherty became Supervising Judge of the Juvenile Division of Philadelphia Family Court in 2003.[8][9] There he implemented reforms like easing access to the court and what he called a "changing of the culture" among a judiciary of mostly older judges. He received 78 percent of the vote when he ran for retention in 2011, and received support from both Democrats and Republicans.[9]
He ran as a Democrat for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015,[10] and was part of a Democratic sweep of all three court vacancies, along with David Wecht, and Christine Donohue. They defeated Republican candidates Judith Olsen, Michael George, and Anne Covey, in a campaign that saw more than $15 million in donations from special interests.[4] Dougherty received a "recommended" rating from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and received strong support from organized labor groups,[5] in part due to Dougherty's relationship with his brother, former Philadelphia labor leader John J. "Johnny Doc" Dougherty, who was convicted of fraud and embezzlement in 2023.[11][12] His brother was his campaign's top fundraiser,[5] raising more than $3.5 million.[12]
