By Guy Ciarrocchi

Today is election day!  

While there are important local and county races, we want to bring to your attention the critical Judicial Races.

There are 7 state-wide judicial races, with contests for the Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court (where municipal and legislative matters are heard) and Superior Court (the court of appeals for most legal matters). 

More and more, these Courts are affecting businesses on important issues such as liability and regulatory matters.  From HR to insurance, courts are impacting employers, job-creators and harming economic development.

For years, special interests including those in government-employee labor unions and PA Trial Lawyers Association have been working to affect the outcome of these races–to the detriment of our economy; and, too many business leaders have sat on the sidelines.

The PA Chamber of Commerce recently endorsed 7 candidates for the 7 judicial elections.   Our Chamber reviewed their endorsements and information about each candidates.  After deliberation, our Board voted to make endorsements similar to the PA Chamber.

Here is the listing of candidates being endorsed and information about them and the offices being sought:

ChamberPAC, the political arm of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, today announced its judicial endorsements for the Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth Courts for the upcoming 2017 General Election.

For the state’s top court, ChamberPAC has endorsed current Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Saylor for retention and Justice Sallie Mundy for election.

State Superior Court endorsements include current Judge Jacqueline Shogan for retention and Judge Geoffrey Moulton, Jr., Judge Emil Giordano, Judge Wade Kagarise and Craig Stedman for election.

Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon and Paul Lalley were endorsed for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

ChamberPAC based its endorsements on the candidates’ legal experience, their prior record of decisions from the bench and answers they provided to questionnaires.

“The importance of judicial elections cannot be overlooked as the courts are the deciding voice in many issues impacting the Commonwealth’s business community,” said PA Chamber President Gene Barr.  “This year’s ChamberPAC-endorsed judicial candidates each have significant legal experience and will bring fair and balanced perspectives to the state courts.  On behalf of the Pennsylvania Chamber’s broad-based membership, ChamberPAC urges voters to support our endorsed judicial candidates this November.”

Supreme Court

Saylor has served on the state’s highest court since 1997, previously serving on the state’s Superior Court.  He has an extensive legal background in both the public and private sector – including holding the positions of First Assistant District Attorney in Somerset County and as First Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth.

Mundy is currently serving her first term on the state Supreme Court after being appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2016.  She previously served on the state Superior Court and was a past chair of the Disciplinary Hearing Committee.  Her past legal background includes significant experience in the private sector, where she specialized in medial malpractice, as well as serving as a volunteer public defender in Tioga County.  She was also a recipient of the 2016 Top Women in Law Award by The Legal Intelligencer.

Superior Court

Giordano is currently serving on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas – a position he was first elected to in 2003.  He has legal experience in both the private and public sector, having previously served as an Assistant District Attorney.

Kagarise has served on the Blair County Court of Common Pleas since 2014.  His legal experience also includes a mix of public and private sector service – including holding the position of the Blair County Assistant District Attorney for seven years and the Blair County Chief Deputy District Attorney for eight years.

Moulton was nominated to the state Superior Court by Gov. Tom Wolf and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2016.  His background includes a wide range of legal experience.  He previously clerked for both the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.  He has also formerly served as a federal prosecutor in Philadelphia – including four years as First Assistant United States Attorney – and as First Deputy General Counsel to Gov. Wolf.

Shogan was first elected to the Superior Court in 2007.  Her career experience includes practicing civil law for the Thorp Reed & Armstrong law firm and working as a nurse and nurse educator prior to obtaining her law degree.

Stedman is the current Lancaster County District Attorney.  An U.S. Army Reserves veteran, he has extensive legal experience in the public sector – including previously holding the positions of Assistant District Attorney for Lancaster County and Special Assistant United States Attorney.

Commonwealth Court

Fizzano Cannon is currently serving her first term on the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas – a position she was elected to in 2011.  Her legal background includes a mixture of private practice and a variety of public positions.  She has previously served as an Assistant County Solicitor, a Municipal Authority Solicitor and as a Special Prosecutor of Child Support Enforcement.

Lalley has vast experience practicing civil law – where he has focused on labor and employment issues for municipal and public school clients.  At the beginning of his career, he served as a law clerk to then-Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Sandra Shultz Newman.  Throughout his career, he has argued cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

We ask you to also Vote YES to Retain the state and Chester County judges seeking retention, including Justices Saylor & Todd and Chester County Judges Bortner and Platt.

We urge you to vote on today to make sure your voice-the voice of business-is heard.

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Guy Ciarrocchi is the President & CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry.