1101 Market Street, 11th Floor • Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-238-6300 • Fax: 215-238-1267 • www.philadelphiabar.org
Association Releases Judicial Ratings for May 15 Primary; Unveils Web Window
Jane Dalton, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and Shelley R. Smith, Chair of the Associations Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention, today announced the results of the Commissions investigation into the qualifications of candidates for Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court in the May 15 primary election. "We wanted to get these names and ratings out as soon as possible and invite people to learn more about how and why we rate the candidates," Dalton said.
The Chancellor pointed out that the Association's Campaign for Qualified Judges has launched a pop-up window that appears whenever anyone visits the Association's Web site. The window lists the candidates ratings, which can be printed out and taken to the polls on May 15.
The Web site also features a complete Voters Guide to the Judicial Elections. Dalton 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 thorough, non-partisan, objective ratings of the candidates."
She said that the Campaign for Qualified Judges is also using television and radio spots, print ads and targeted e-mails to educate voters as the election draws near.
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 30-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study and investigation by five-member panels of the Commission's own 120-member investigative division, which includes 40 non-lawyer members. Candidates found Recommended satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including legal ability and training, trial experience, character and integrity, judicial temperament, mental and physical capacity and community involvement.
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found RECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
| Linda Carpenter | Recommended | |
| Gregory A. Coleman | Recommended | |
| Robert P. Coleman | Recommended | |
| Alice Beck Dubow | Recommended | |
| Michael Erdos | Recommended | |
| Joyce Eubanks | Recommended | |
| Ellen Green-Ceisler | Recommended | |
| Thomas Martin | Recommended | |
| Beverly Muldrow | Recommended | |
| Joseph T. Murphy, Jr. | Recommended | |
| Thomas M. Nocella | Recommended | |
| J. Scott OKeefe | Recommended | |
| Angeles Roca | Recommended | |
| Marvin Williams | Recommended |
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found RECOMMENDED for election to the Municipal Court:
| Joyce Eubanks | Recommended | |
| Sean F. Kennedy | Recommended | |
| Joseph T. Murphy, Jr. | Recommended | |
| Joseph J. ONeill | Recommended | |
| Diane R. Thompson | Recommended | |
| Joseph C. Waters, Jr. | Recommended | |
| Sandjai Weaver | Recommended |
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found NOT RECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:
| Christian H. Clemente | Not Recommended | |
| Elvin P. Ross III | Not Recommended | |
| Rosa Ryan | Not Recommended | |
| Gerard P. Shotzbarger | Not Recommended |
The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found NOT RECOMMENDED for election to the Municipal Court:
| Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde | Not Recommended | |
| Robert M. Kline | Not Recommended |