Candidate for
Judge; Pennsylvania Superior Court

Every judge maintains a sacred trust - to resolve each case with fairness and common sense, to decide every matter before the court with an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, and to treat every person before the court with respect and simple human decency.

People expect, and deserve, fairness and common sense. True accessibility to the court, without regard to race, gender, national origin, or economic status is a fundamental obligation of the court. Purely technical applications of the rules of court should never be elevated to ends in and of themselves; but rather the rules must be applied consistent with their intended purpose - to serve the parties, fairly, in their search for justice.

People expect, and deserve, a judge that will apply the law, as it exists, without the introduction of personal opinions of the judge. Not every judge personally agrees with the application of every law in every circumstance, but a good judge recognizes that the law constitutes the expressed collective will of the people + and that, as such, it always takes precedence over the personal views of an individual judge.

People expect, and deserve, to be treated with respect and simple human decency. A judge must understand that the courts are intended to serve people, and that the cases that come before them involve real people living in a real world. Just as a party's claim should be treated with competence and professionalism, so should the parties, themselves, be treated by the court with respect and simple human decency.

It is only with consistent accountability, and transparency of the public duties of the court that the court, itself, can hope to continue to enjoy the faith and trust of a citizenry that, quite properly, expects honorable and competent service from its public servants. Different challenges require different solutions; but, a good judge keeps principles of fairness at the forefront, applies the law always, and treats the parties, not as case numbers, but, rather, as human beings deserving of the court's very best effort and respect.