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Bar Releases Judicial Ratings for May 17 Primary
Andrew A. Chirls, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, has announced the results of the Association's investigation into the qualifications of candidates for the Court of Common Pleas and candidates for Municipal Court in the May 17 primary election. The investigation was completed by the Association's Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.The Chancellor pointed out that the Association's Campaign for Qualified Judges has launched a pop-up window which appears whenever anyone visits the Association's Web site. The window lists the candidates' ratings and the Web site contains a link to a "Voters Guide to the Judicial Elections." Chirls said the Association wants voters to know "not just who to vote for but why the judicial elections are so important and why we invest so much time and energy in reviewing and rating these candidates. This is the one place for voters to find a thorough, non-partisan, objective ratings of the candidates."
The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-partisan. It includes lawyers and non-lawyers. Among the members of the Commission are the Chief Public Defender, the President Judges of the Common Pleas and Municipal Courts, and representatives from the Asian, Hispanic and African American legal groups.
The ratings by the 29-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study and investigation by the Commission's own 120-member investigative division which includes 40 non-lawyer members. Candidates found Recommended satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability and training, trial experience, character and integrity, judicial temperament, mental and physical capacity and community involvement. Complete details can be found at philadelphiabar.org.
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found RECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
Hon. Glenn B. Bronson - Recommended
Ann M. Butchart - Recommended
Linda A. Carpenter - Recommended
Hon. Charles J. Cunningham - Recommended
Joyce Webb Eubanks - Recommended
Ellen Green-Ceisler - Recommended
Marilyn Heffley - Recommended
Sharon Williams Losier - Recommended
Thomas Martin - Recommended
Thomas Nocella - Recommended
Hon. Susan I. Schulman - Recommended
Meredith Seigle-DiClaudio - Recommended
Ira B. Shrager - Recommended
Leon W. Tucker - Recommended
Sandjai Weaver - Recommended
Marvin L. Williams - Recommended
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found RECOMMENDED for election to Municipal Court:
Hon. Charles J. Cunningham - Recommended
Hon. Nazario Jimenez - Recommended
Hon. Bradley K. Moss - Recommended
Beverly N. Muldrow - Recommended
David C. Shuter - Recommended
Karen Y. Simmons - Recommended
The following candidates were found NOT RECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
Christian H. Clemente - Not Recommended
Vivienne A. Crawford - Not Recommended
Cateria R. McCabe - Not Recommended
Michael L. Nix - Not Recommended
Hon. Walter J. Olszewski - Not Recommended
Hon. Frank Palumbo - Not Recommended
Lisette Shirdan-Harris - Not Recommended