Why Experience Matters for District Judge
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that District Judges are “the first and often the only representatives of the judicial system with whom most people have contact.”
Most citizens interact with their magistrate perhaps by chance at the grocery store or to dispute a traffic citation. But for Jim and Evelyn Piazza, their District Judge dramatically changed their lives. Their son Timothy Piazza tragically died in February during a fraternity hazing at Penn State University. Their heartbreaking, international story underscores the sobering responsibilities that a District Judge may undertake.
The gut-wrenching details of Tim’s death were revealed to the Piazza’s months after his passing, when a Centre County grand jury recommended hundreds of charges be brought against 18 members of the fraternity, including involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and evidence tampering which could carry 10 to 20 year prison sentences.
According to a New Jersey Star-Ledger column “Penn State hazing case: Local judge, frat leadership add to Piazza family grief” the District Judge who is not an attorney “dismissed the charges without explanation.” Jim Piazza said that the District Judge’s “hearings were like a fraternity reunion. The kids were high-fiving and hugging each other. It was if we weren’t there.”
The decision was called “stunning” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and “stunning and outrageous” by the Lancaster paper LNP. The decision is being appealed by the Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller who said the District Judge made “a huge legal error.” There are 14 lesser charges awaiting trial.
Close to Home
Stories like the Piazza’s shine a light on the level of experience, emotional maturity and professionalism that a District Judge must possess. Citizens in Pennsylvania’s 27th Magisterial District – covering Finleyville Borough and Peters, Nottingham and Union Townships – have their own decision to make this November 7 for District Judge.
In particular, Washington County has made national headlines for its heroin epidemic as chronicled by The Washington-Post in their feature story “The heroin epidemic’s toll: One county, 70 minutes, eight overdoses.” Communities in the 27th Magisterial District are not immune to this issue, and while certainly not all of those struggling with addiction commit crimes, when crime is committed more affluent communities can become targets.
Stark Contrast
Voters have two very different choices in this election, 43-year old Jesse Pettit, an accomplished licensed attorney with 16 years of legal experience, who with his wife Rebecca raise their four children in Peters, and 29-year old Jacob Machel, a realtor with no legal background. Based on public information, Machel rents in Peters and therefore is not a local taxpayer. He does not list any children on his campaign website.
According to the May 2017 League of Women Voters of Washington County and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Nonpartisan Voters Guide, Primary Election, Machel observed just 400 hours of court proceedings as a “college intern” and recently completed the state minimum certification for non-attorneys to serve as District Judge.
Pettit has more than 266,000 hours practicing law in Pennsylvania. He’s a former Deputy Attorney General who worked in the Organized Crime and Narcotics Division of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. He’s also worked as a former Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office. He’s tried cases to jury verdict in state and federal courts and prosecuted nearly 50 non-jury trials and presented evidence in approximately 2,500 felony preliminary hearings. As a prosecutor, Pettit completed Top Gun Drug Enforcement Training co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Police/Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association.
Providing Voters with a Choice
The motivation behind a candidate’s decision to enter the political arena provides a great deal of insight into anyone seeking public office, including in this race. A column in the Washington Observer-Reporter indicated that “…Longtime District Judge James Ellis led potential candidates to believe he was running for re-election, discouraging possible opposition. After circulating nominating petitions in February, Ellis retired the day of the filing deadline, assuring that his alleged handpicked replacement, Jacob Machel, the only other candidate to circulate petitions, would win the primary.
“Both Democrats and Republicans were so incensed at the alleged trickery that they each organized write-in campaigns for the May 2017 primary. Despite these efforts, Machel was the only candidate to appear on the Democratic and Republican primary ballots, and he won both.”
Pettit received more than 800 signatures to earn a spot on the ballot as an Independent. Pettit told the Observer-Reporter “the voters of the district deserve to have a choice, and a choice of someone who has the qualifications to serve in that district.” Telling supporters “I’m a firm believer that a judge should understand how to interpret the law and make proper decisions, regardless of party affiliation, which is why I’m proud to run as an Independent candidate.”
The Peters Township Republican Party said Pettit “is the most qualified candidate” and the Democratic Party of Washington County said Pettit is “highly recommended.”
During remarks in October, Pettit said “we can’t afford for our next magistrate to learn on the job. Experience matters and I’m ready to serve our community on day one. I’ve witnessed first-hand how important this office is, particularly as it relates to crime, and as a father of four young children, it’s our responsibility to keep our community safe and that begins with responsible citizens, strong families, our excellent local police force, and our district judge.”
Machel has indicated in campaign materials that he was the chosen candidate in the primary by Republicans and Democrats, omitting the details reported in the Observer-Reporter that he was the only choice, until now.
The importance of this election and the choice for the Pennsylvania’s next 27th District Judge could not be clearer.
This article is sponsored by the Committee to Elect Jesse Pettit.