Bar Association Announces Ratings, Releases Poll Results

Carl S. Primavera, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and Nicholas J. Lisi, Chair of the Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention, today announced the results of the Commission's investigation into the qualifications of 31 candidates for the Court of Common Pleas and 7 candidates for the Municipal Court in the November 6 primary election.  Thirty-two individuals received "Recommended" ratings and six were "Not Recommended" by the Commission.

In addition, the Judicial Commission also released the results of a poll of all Philadelphia lawyers conducted for the Bar Association earlier this year by Parente Consulting.  The poll invited respondents to rate specific aspects of the judicial performance of each of the retention judges.  Under the bylaws of the Association, the poll is not binding upon the Commission's deliberations, although it must be published with the Commission's findings. The complete poll results are available from the Bar Association.

The 29-member Judicial Commission includes lawyers and non-lawyers as well as the President Judges of Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, the District Attorney, the Chancellor, Chancellor-Elect and Vice Chancellor of the Bar Association and representatives of diverse interests within the community.  Lisi said the "ratings are the result of a thorough and deliberate process and deserve serious consideration."

Each of the currently rated candidates was voted upon by the Commission.  Those found "Recommended" satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability and training, trial experience, character, integrity, judicial temperament and mental and physical ability.  The complete criteria are available from the Bar Association.
 

The following 10 candidates, listed alphabetically, were found "Recommended" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
  Judge Denis P. Cohen
  Rosemarie DeFino
  Kevin M. Dougherty
  Harold M. Kane
  Judge Margaret T. Murphy McKeown
  George W. Overton
  Lisa M. Rau
  Robert J. Rebstock
  Earl W. Trent
  Christopher R. Wogan
 

The following 17 judges, listed alphabetically, were found "Recommended" for retention on the Court of Common Pleas:
  Judge Howland W. Abramson
  Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro
  Judge Joan A. Brown
  Judge Thomas E. Dempsey
  Judge Victor J. DiNubile, Jr.
  Judge Myrna P. Field
  Judge Gary S. Glazer
  Judge Arthur S. Kafrissen
  Judge Anne E. Lazarus
  Judge Eugene E. J. Maier
  Judge William J. Mazzola
  Judge Arnold L. New
  Judge Paul P. Panepinto
  Judge Joseph I. Papalini
  Judge Gregory E. Smith
  Judge Albert John Snite, Jr.
  Judge Flora Barth Wolf

 

The following candidate was found "Recommended" for election to Municipal Court:
  Judge Wendy L. Pew
 

The following four judges were found "Recommended" for retention on Municipal Court:
  Judge Teresa Carr Deni
  Judge Georganne V. Daher
  Judge Ronald B. Merriweather
  Judge Louis J. Presenza
 

The following three candidates were found "Not Recommended" for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
  Leslie Fleisher
  Elizabeth Jackson
  Ronald J. Sharper
 

The following judge was found "Not Recommended" for retention on the Court of  Common Pleas:
  Judge James Murray Lynn

The following candidate was found "Not Recommended" for election to Municipal Court:
  Deborah Griffin
 

The following judge was found "Not Recommended" for retention on Municipal Court:
  Judge Louis G. F. Retacco

    

 

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