MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
The Superior Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts.
Primary
VOTERS’
GUIDE
Polls open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tuesday, May 19
Contested races are as follows:
PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the commonwealth. The court consists of
seven judges who get an annual salary of $203,409 and serve 10-year terms.
This court is considered the court of last resort, taking appeals from lower courts.
Cases are generally heard by panels sitting in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
There are three Supreme Court vacancies. They were created by the retirements
of Chief Justice Ronald Castille, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70
last year, and Justice Seamus McCafferty, who stepped down last year to avoid an
investigation into pornographic emails. Justice Joan Orie Melvin, who was convicted in
2013 of using her staff to run her campaign, resigned.
There are six candidates seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations for
three seats. They are:
DEM nominees
Christine
DONOHUE
Age: 62
About the candidate: After
appearing in courtrooms
for 27 years as a lawyer,
Donohue was elected
in 2007 to serve on the
Superior Court. She has
decided more than 2,000
appeals by written decisions.
Anne E. LAZARUS David WECHT
Age: 62
About the candidate:
Lazarus was elected to
her current position as a
Superior Court judge in
2009. Since her election,
she has written more
than 2,000 memos and
opinions and has been
recognized for providing
pro bono legal service.
GOP nominees
Cheryl ALLEN
Age: 67
About the candidate: Allen
started her career as a
teacher before becoming
a lawyer. After practicing
the law for 15 years, she
got her first position as a
judge in 1990. She became
the first black woman to be
elected to the Pennsylvania
Superior Court.
Judy OLSON
Age: 57
About the candidate:
Olson currently serves
on the Pennsylvania
Superior Court. Prior to
her election to the higher
court, she served on the
Court of Common Pleas
of Allegheny County,
where she presided over
numerous civil matters.
For a roundup of stories on next week’s
election, visit http://bit.ly/lancastervotes2015
15
Kevin M.
DOUGHERTY
Age: 51
About the candidate:
Dougherty has served as
a judge on the Court of
Common Pleas since 2001.
He previously served as
administrative judge of
Philadelphia Family Court
for nearly a decade.
Age: 52
About the candidate:
Wecht has served on
the Superior Court of
Pennsylvania since 2012.
Prior to that he served as
a trial judge on the Court
of Common Pleas for
Pennsylvania, presiding
extensively in both the civil
and family divisions.
Anne COVEY
Age: 55
About the candidate:
Covey was elected to
the Commonwealth
Court in 2011. Prior to her
election, she served on
the Pennsylvania Labor
Relations Board for over a
decade.
Correale STEVENS
Age: 68
About the candidate:
Stevens, then president
judge of the state Superior
Court, was nominated in
June 2013 to fill the term
of former Justice Melvin.
He served for four years
as Luzerne County district
attorney, and ran for his
position as judge in 1991.
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John Henry
FORADORA
Age: 48
About the candidate:
Foradora is president
judge in Jefferson County
and is one of four state
judges on the Strategic
Planning Workshop of the
Pennsylvania Sentencing
Commission.
Dwayne D.
WOODRUFF
Age: 58
About the candidate:
Woodruff is a judge on
the Court of Common
Pleas of Allegheny County,
presiding primarily over
juvenile cases. He began
practicing law in 1988 while
playing for the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Mike GEORGE
Age: 56
About the candidate:
Currently in his second
10-year term as a Adams
County Court judge,
George presides over a
range of civil and criminal
cases. He also serves as
chairman of the county’s
Criminal Justice Advisory
Board.
Rebecca
WARREN
Age: 48
About the candidate:
Warren is district attorney
for Montour County.
Throughout her 24-year
legal career, she has
appeared in front of state,
federal and county courts
on thousands of cases.
PENNSYLVANIA SUPERIOR COURT
The court consists of 15 judges who get an annual salary of $191,926 and serve 10-year
terms.
This court reviews most of the civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the Courts
of Common Pleas in the state’s 67 counties. A huge volume of appeals flow to Superior
Court from the trial courts. Generally, appeals are heard by panels of three judges sitting
in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
This court often is the final arbiter of legal disputes, although the Supreme Court may
grant a petition for review of a Superior Court decision.
There are two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for one seat. They are:
DEM nominees
Robert COLVILLE
Age: 49
About the candidate: Colville is an
Allegheny County Court judge. He is also
a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court to the Court of Judicial Discipline of
Pennsylvania.
PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH COURT
Alice Beck DUBOW
Age: 56
About the candidate: Dubow has served
as judge in the Philadelphia Court of
Common Pleas for the past seven years.
She began her public service as an
assistant city solicitor for the City of
Philadelphia in 1992.
The Commonwealth Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate
courts. The court consists of nine judges who get an annual salary of $191,926 and serve
10-year terms.
This court is generally limited to legal matters involving state and local government and
regulatory agencies. Litigation typically focuses on such subjects as banking, insurance,
utility regulation, land-use, elections, labor practices and workers’ compensation. Cases
are generally heard by panels of three judges sitting in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh.
There are two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for one seat. They are:
DEM nominees
Todd EAGEN Michael WOJCIK
Age: 47 Age: 50
About the candidate: A partner in About the candidate: Wojcik is an
a Lackawanna County-based firm, Allegheny County attorney who also
Eagen and his colleagues specialize in serves as solicitor for the Allegheny
representing unions across Pennsylvania. County Airport Authority. He served as
They represent the Pennsylvania State Allegheny County solicitor for eight years.
Troopers Association and Pennsylvania
State Corrections Officers Association.
MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGES
Three areas of Lancaster County feature contested primaries for magisterial district
judge.
Magisterial district judges receive an annual salary of $88,290 and serve six years. They
handle arraignments, minor criminal offenses, traffic citations and nontraffic ordinance
violations, marriage ceremonies, emergency protection-from-abuse petitions and civil
cases up to $12,000.
While they do not have to be lawyers, they are required to complete a training course
offered by the state and attend 32 hours of continuing-education courses each year.
Many of the candidates have cross-filed for the positions, meaning they will appear on
both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Candidate’s current profession listed.
Contested primaries are as follows:
District 2-1-01
Lancaster city’s southwest quadrant that includes the 4th and 8th wards
DEM nominees
James R. HAINES Jr. (J.R. HAINES on ballot) - constable of Lancaster
city’s 8th Ward
Adam WITKONIS - attorney
GOP nominees
J.R. HAINES - see above Adam WITKONIS - see above
District 2-1-03
Columbia and Mountville boroughs and West Hempfield Township
DEM nominees
Miles BIXLER - West Hempfield Township police corporal
Robert L. BUZZENDORE JR. - attorney at Hoffmeyer & Semmelman in York
William GENETTI - Lancaster city police officer
Mark G. PUGLIESE - West Hempfield Township police chief
GOP nominees
Miles BIXLER - see above William GENETTI - see above
Robert L. BUZZENDORE JR. - see above Mark G. PUGLIESE - see above
District 2-3-05
Bart, Caernarvon, Leacock, Paradise, Sadsbury and Salisbury townships
DEM nominees
Deborah L. GREATHOUSE - Lancaster County assistant district attorney
Ray SHELLER - Parkesburg Borough constable
GOP nominees
Deborah L. GREATHOUSE - see above Ray SHELLER - see above
SCHOOL BOARD RACES
Six local school districts feature contested primaries on at least one party’s ballot this
spring. Candidate’s profession listed. *Incumbent seeking re-election
Contested races are as follows:
Elizabethtown
Six candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for five seats. They are:
GOP nominees
Ronald T. GRENKO* - physician at Downtown Family Medicine
Craig M. HUMMER* - residential loan officer at Metro Bank
Caroline LALVANI* - director of community affairs and special events at E-town College
Mike NICODEMUS - new business coordinator for UGI Utilities
Terry L. SEIDERS* - supervisor of regional operations at First Energy
Karen SWEIGART - real estate agent with Sweigart Partnership 2