PENNSYLVANIA JUDICIARY CANDIDATES

The Pennsylvania Judiciary is made up of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court, the Superior Court, and trial courts known as the Court of Common Pleas and Minor Courts. Cases typically originate in the Court of Common Pleas and Minor Courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system. 

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Pennsylvania’s state  court system. All of the courts have elected judges for 10-year terms except for the Magisterial District Court, Philadelphia Municipal, and Pittsburgh Municipal Judges who serve six-year terms. Judges first elected to 10-year terms are required to run in a non-partisan retention election if they wish to continue to serve.  Learn about how judges are elected in Pennsylvania.  

SUPREME COURT (Elect 1) – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the state’s court of last resort. Seven justices serve on the Court and their job is to make the final judgment in interpreting Pennsylvania’s laws and Constitution. The Court has administrative authority over all aspects of Pennsylvania’s judicial system. As of September 2019, five judges on the court were elected in partisan elections as Democrats, one judge was elected as a Republican, and one judge was appointed by a Democratic governor. Supreme court judges are paid $215,037 annually as of January 2021.

• • Elect Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin, Democrat for Supreme Court – Website, Facebook Page, Instagram Page, Twitter Page, Resume
    • In 2017, Judge McLaughlin was elected to a seat on the PA Superior Court by defeating a slate of nine candidates for the statewide position. Prior to her election to PA Superior Court, McLaughlin served as a judge on Philadelphia County’s Court of Common Pleas from 2011 to 2017. For nearly two decades before becoming a judge, McLaughlin served in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. Within the D.A.’s office she rose to the position of Chief District Attorney in 2002, making her the youngest female Chief in the city’s history. Judge McLaughlin grew up in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia.  She received her undergraduate degree from Penn State University and her law degree from Widener University School of Law. She then clerked for the President Judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, where she now sits on the bench. In her role as a Superior Court judge, McLaughlin currently serves as liaison between the court and the Pennsylvania Bar Association, a role that has proved critical throughout the COVID pandemic.

COURTS OF APPEAL– Pennsylvania has two statewide intermediate appellate courts systems: the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. 

COMMONWEALTH COURT (Elect 2) – The Commonwealth Court hears civil cases involving state or local government. It is the only court like it in the country. It not only hears appeals, but sometimes sits as a trial court in certain cases brought by or against the Commonwealth, such as a constitutional challenge to a state law or a tax dispute. The court is made up of nine judges who serve 10-year terms (beginning the January after their election and ending on the first Monday of the January 10 years later – only on even-numbered years). The court generally decides cases in three-judge panels and sits in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The Commonwealth Court also functions as a trial court in some civil actions by or against the Commonwealth government and cases regarding statewide elections. Commonwealth Court judges are paid $202,898 annually as of January 2021. 

There will be two vacancies and two terms up for retention in 2021. Commonwealth Court judges Anne Covey and Renee Cohn Jubelirer must stand for retention election in November in order to remain on the bench. Nearly every statewide justice or judge who has ever run for retention has won. 

• • Elect Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court Judge Lori Dumas, Democrat for Commonwealth Court – Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

    • Judge Lori Dumas has served on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for over 18 years. Currently assigned to the Civil Division, she has also presided in the Criminal Division.  But Judge Dumas spent most of her years on the bench in the Philadelphia Family Court – Juvenile Division. Growing out of her service in Family Court, Dumas was a leader in creating the First Judicial District’s Juvenile Human Trafficking Court.

      Both in her courtroom and in the community, Dumas has been an educator and advocate on juvenile human trafficking and the trauma it creates for children. She is the local chair of a national non-violence program focused on helping exploited, traumatized youth, has been active with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and is a member of the National Campaign to Stop Violence.

      After growing up in Philadelphia, Judge Dumas earned a BA degree in Sociology at Duke University and her J.D. degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. She is also a graduate of the Fels Institute of Government at PENN. She has taught law courses at several local institutions.

  • Elect Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Spurgeon, Democrat for Commonwealth Court – Facebook, Twitter, Resume
    • A member of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas since 2016, Judge Spurgeon is assigned to the Family Division. He was named a Judicial Fellow by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and is regarded as a national expert on domestic violence. He currently serves as the Chair of the Family Violence Work Group for the 5^th Judicial District, regularly serves as a panelist on forums addressing intimate partner violence, and recently appeared as an expert guest on Court TV discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family violence. In 1998, after two years in private practice, Spurgeon joined the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney and remained until 2016. Through his work in the D.A.’s Domestic Violence Trial Unit, he implemented the first Intimate Partner Violence Homicide Review Team, was the Allegheny County Coordinator for the STOP grant under the Violence Against Women Act and co-chair of the DV Task Force. He became a certified police instructor at the Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh Police Academies, assisted in the creation of Veterans’ Court and supervised the attorneys assigned to Mental Health Court.  A graduate of McKeesport Area Senior High School, Judge Spurgeon graduated cum laude from Duquesne University in 1993 with a BA degree in Political Science and German. He received his law degree in 1996 from the Duquesne University School of Law and is currently an adjunct professor at Duquesne University School of Law.

SUPERIOR COURT (Elect 1) – The Superior Court is the appeals court for most citizens and businesses. This Court’s decisions have a significant impact on Pennsylvania’s economy and the quality of life of our citizens. It reviews most of the civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the courts of common pleas in the state’s 67 counties. The court’s judges also review and decide on wiretapping applications presented by the state’s attorney general and district attorneys under Pennsylvania’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act. It is one of the busiest intermediate appellate courts in the country. Superior Court judges are paid $202,898 annually as of January 2021. 

Superior Court judges John Bender and Mary Jane Bowes must stand for retention election in November in order to remain on the bench. Nearly every statewide justice or judge who has ever run for retention has won. 

• • Elect Philadelphia Common Pleas Court  Judge Timika Lane, Democrat for Superior Court – Website,  Facebook, Twitter, Resume
    

    • In her current position on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, where she has served since 2013, Judge Lane is assigned to the Major Trials program in the Criminal Division. She also handles Investigative Grand Jury matters and oversees the Uplift, Fast Track and Branching Up (formerly Roots to Re-entry) programs. Recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed her to the County Adult Probation and Parole Advisory Committee (CAPPAC) where she serves as Co-Chair. Prior to joining the Court of Common Pleas bench, Lane served private clients in family law cases, was a trial attorney for the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Chief Legal Counsel for State Senator Anthony H. Williams, and the Democratic Executive Director for the Pennsylvania State Senate State Government Committee.

      Judge Lane was born and raised in West Philadelphia. She pursued a teaching career upon graduation from Howard University. In 2002, she earned her law degree from Rutgers-Camden School of Law in New Jersey. As a law student, she worked for the Pro Bono Domestic Violence Project and the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project. She also co-chaired the Black Law Students Community Outreach program.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS (Elect 2) – With over 400 judges across the state, the Court of Common Pleas is where most misdemeanor and all felony criminal cases are disposed of, where Orphan’s Court matters are addressed, and where larger civil cases are originated. Family law matters, such as custody, divorce, and support are also addressed at the primary level under the supervision of the Court of Common Pleas for a county. These courts hear criminal and civil cases, including those involving families and children, such as divorce, property division, alimony, child custody and support, paternity and protection orders. They also hear appeals from the lower-level Minor Courts. There are 13 Common Pleas Judges in Chester County. Common Plea judges are paid $186,665 annually as of January 2021. 

• • Elect Alita Rovito, Democrat for Common Pleas Court – Website, Facebook, Instagram, Resume, Video
    • Alita Rovito believes that a good judge must possess impeccable personal integrity, a love of service, and the experience and compassion to apply the law with fairness and respect. Alita has 33 years legal expertise serving the citizens of Chester County.

      She is the only candidate for Judge on the Court of Common Pleas with 15 years of judicial experience as a hearing officer in the Family Court Masters Unit.

      She has served as an educator for other attorneys through continuing legal education, as a Mock Trial coach for high school and college students, as a Moot Court judge for college students, as a leader for the Girl Scouts, as a board member for the Crime Victims Center, and as a volunteer for the Access to Justice Program.

      Alita is a graduate of Penn State University and Dickinson School of Law. She served as an Assistant District Attorney in Chester County and was the first managing attorney of the Chester County’s Child Abuse Unit. She is the founding member of Rovito Law LLC, where she represents men and women in all aspects of family law.

      She has served as an advocate, mediator, and private arbitrator. Alita’s experience, both personal and professional, makes her uniquely qualified to be a compassionate and fair Judge on the Court of Common Pleas.

  • Elect Tony Verwey, Democrat for Common Please Court – Facebook, Twitter, Resume, Video 
    • Tony has over 30 years of diverse legal experience and a proven track record of public service. Since 2017 at Gawthrop Greenwood in West Chester, he has worked with elected officials at the county and municipal level, appointed boards and commissions, and private clients on a wide range of legal matters including government, ethics, taxation, prevailing wage, education law, real estate development, zoning and land use. In 2006-2017 he was at Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees, and in 2004-2006 was sole proprietor of a law practice representing clients in a variety of matters including legal ethics, professional discipline defense, litigation and wills and estates. In 1993-2004, for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, District II, he directed investigations of alleged attorney misconduct. He received his J.D., 1989, from Widener University School of Law after graduating in 1986 from Penn State University. He has made many professional presentations and most recently earned recognition as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer – 2020 (Land Use/Zoning) and as a Main Line Today – 2020 Top Lawyer (Municipal Law).

MINOR COURTS (Elect 1)– These courts are the first level of Pennsylvania’s judiciary and are where most people have experience with the judicial system. Examples of cases include: traffic tickets, landlord-tenant disputes and underage drinking. These courts are also responsible for whether serious criminal cases go to the Court of Common Pleas, preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings, setting and accepting bail except in murder or voluntary manslaughter cases. These courts are presided over by Magisterial District Judges (MDJs) in Pennsylvania counties and Municipal Court Judges in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. MDJs do not have to be lawyers, but they are required to pass a qualifying exam. Learn more about Magisterial Judges in Chester County.  Also be sure to read this important investigative article about problems with the Magisterial Court system in Pennsylvania. Magisterial judges in Chester County are paid $93,338 annually as of January 2021. Easttown Township is in District Court 15-1-02.

• • Elect Mackenzie Smith, Democrat for Magisterial Judge – Website, Facebook, Resume
    • • “Now more than ever, it is critical that judges at all levels of the judicial system have the qualifications, training and experience to properly evaluate the merits of cases and impartially apply the law.  No one should leave a courtroom feeling like they didn’t get a fair shake because the judge was partial to one side or lacked the experience necessary to fully appreciate the legal or practical implications of his or her decision.  As an attorney with broad experience in criminal law (as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney) and civil law (representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to an infant born into the foster system), I will be able to accurately evaluate all legal issues that will come before me as District Judge.  Electing the most qualified judges is good public policy and best serves the community, the taxpayers, and the judicial system.”