So we elect all of these local judges?
Yes. Except in the case of judges who are appointed for an interim period, all local judges in Philadelphia are elected. And you will have plenty of candidates to vote for this year. Nearly 100 people have expressed interest in running for Traffic Court.
Nearly 100 people? How can I possibly make a good decision?
If you feel overwhelmed, you’re in good company: The majority of Philadelphians have no clue about most, if not all, of the judicial candidates. But before we get into choosing candidates, let’s set the table. There are three local courts whose judges you elect: The Court of Common Pleas, the Municipal Court and the Traffic Court. Traffic Court, as most of us now know, handles moving traffic violations that happen in Philly.
What is the Court of Common Pleas?
Court of Common Pleas judges deal with the most severe criminal charges (called felonies), major civil cases where the contested amount is more than $12,000, domestic relations matters, cases involving juveniles and proceedings regarding estates, wills and trusts. In most cases, Common Pleas judges sit alone. But in felony or major civil cases, the defendant has a right to a jury trial.
And the Philadelphia Municipal CourtN?
On the criminal side, judges on the Municipal Court conduct trials in cases where adults are accused of committing less severe crimes where the maximum prison sentence is no more than five years (called misdemeanors) and also preliminary hearings in felony cases (where the District Attorney has to prove that a crime was committed and that the accused may be the person who did it) before the matter moves to the Court of Common Pleas for a full trial. Municipal Court judges also hear landlord/tenant disputes, “small claims” cases where the contested amount is no more than $12,000 or $15,000 if the matter involves real estate or school taxes. Defendants in Municipal Court don’t have a right to a jury trial.
How many judges are on each Court?
The Common Pleas Court has 106 judges, Municipal Court has 25 and Traffic Court has seven.
How many judges can I vote for this year?
There are six openings on the Common Pleas Court, two on the Municipal Court and three on Traffic Court.
Only eleven openings and over 100 candidates just for Traffic Court? The odds aren't too good.
Right now people who are interested in running for judge in Philly have until March 12 to collect 1,000 valid signatures to get their names on the May primary ballot. If every person who requested nomination petitions (the papers used to collect signatures) ends up turning them in, and their petitions are not successfully challenged for any reason (e.g., the person signing the petition is not eligible to vote in Philadelphia or gave the wrong address or said her name is “Minnie Mouse”), it will be a very crowded judicial ballot on May 21.
Can someone run for two courts at the same time?
Yes. And what makes it even crazier for the voter is that judicial candidates can also cross-file, which means they can seek both the Democratic and Republican nominations to run in the primary in order to get on the November general election ballot.
So a Republican can win the Democratic nomination in the primary and vice versa?
That’s right. But, let’s face it, in Philadelphia, with 8 Democrats for every one Republican, winning the Democratic nomination is pretty much a sure ticket to becoming a judge.
Can independent candidates run in the May primary?
No – only Democrats and Republicans.
I need to digest this. How can I find out more about judicial races?
The Philadelphia Bar Association categorizes candidates for the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Courts as either “recommended” or “not recommended.” In the past, local papers have also weighed in on these races by endorsing candidates. But neither the papers nor the Philadelphia Bar Association rate or endorse Traffic Court candidates. In fact, we aren’t aware of any non-partisan source that evaluates all local judicial candidates, which is probably why most people depend on their political parties for guidance. But the story of local party endorsements is a long and ugly one that we’ll save for an upcoming edition ofHOW PHILLY WORKS.
But why aren't there ratings of candidates for Traffic Court? That's the Court that cries out for honest judges!
The Bar Association only rates judicial candidates who are lawyers, and Traffic Court judges don’t have to be lawyers. We wish they would rate them.
Does Seventy rate or endorse candidates?
We do not. But we will do our best to provide you with non-partisan information about the local judicial candidates as soon as we know who is officially on the ballot for the 11 judicial openings.
Check out the Elections section of Seventy’s website to learn more on the 2013 elections and other important elections-related news. Please e-mail us at futureofthecity@seventy.org if there is anything you want to know to make your voting experience better.
03/08/2013