Attorneys weigh in on choices for Washington County judge
The only former Common Pleas Court judge making a run for the office this year garnered, by one vote, the most “highly recommended” responses in a poll of lawyers responding to the Washington County Bar Association’s query.
Phillippe A. Melograne, who served from late 2010 to 2011 on the Washington County bench when he was appointed to a vacancy by then-Gov. Ed Rendell, bested Assistant District Attorney Kristin Clingerman in the “highly recommended” category by a single vote, 50 to 49. State Rep. Brandon Neuman, running for the first time for countywide office, finished with 20 in this category. Joyce Hatfield-Wise, running for office for the first time, had 10, while Charles Kurowski received eight.
In an emailed statement, Melograne wrote, “I am honored to have received the most votes as ‘highly recommended’ from the bar association. It means a lot to me that so many members of the Washington County Bar have such high regard for my 30 years’ experience as a prosecutor, attorney in private practices, and as a judge.”
In results released Tuesday afternoon, Clingerman turned the tables in the “recommended” category, garnering 63 votes to Melograne’s 56.
“I was honored to have received the greatest number of ‘highly recommended’ and ‘recommended’ votes combined, and honored that my colleagues have such a great respect for my work,” Clingerman said after reviewing the results. “It will ultimately be the voters who make their choice May 16.”
In the “not recommended” category, Kurowski, of Canton Township, received 126 votes. Neuman had 98 voting “not recommended,” while Hatfield-Wise finished in that category with 97 votes. Melograne was not recommended on 48 ballots, while Clingerman had the fewest in that category with 41.
Kurowski steered the focus toward his track record of civil litigation.
“Our profession is one of adversity, but based on all the cases that I’ve handled being greater than all of the candidates combined, verified by the prothonotary’s computer records, and based on the reversals of judge decisions, I know and my clients know that I’m both experienced and well-qualified,” he said.
Neuman appeared to take the results with a grain of salt.
“I’m unsurprised many members within the Washington County Bar would support their friends,” Neuman emailed from Harrisburg. “As a legislator, I’ve been committed to the service of people, not outside groups of influence. As judge, too, I will serve the people of Washington County. My commitment, regardless of the opinion of those groups, is unwavering for delivering fair and even-handed justice for the people.”
Hatfield-Wise said she was disheartened by the results.
“I have garnered great respect across the state, including among the appellate Bench and my colleagues,” Hatfield-Wise said in an email. “I continue to want to serve Washington County as our next Judge.”
Fifty-three percent of the 312 eligible voting members of the Washington County Bar Association were included in the results. Members were asked to evaluate each judicial candidate on trial experience, education and training, professional knowledge and skills. Personal qualities they weighed were good character, integrity, patience, zeal, common sense and reputation among peers for diligence and timeliness.
Members who voted also had the option of not making a recommendation on individual candidates, which were counted as “no response.”
“The bar association takes seriously its responsibility to play an active part in securing competent and desirable candidates to fill judicial positions,” said Frank Arcuri, chairman of the organization’s Court Relations Committee, in a news release. Other attorneys serving on the committee include Mary Bates, Blane Black, Mary Lyn Drewitz, Jana Grimm, Joe Fox, MariAnn Hathaway, Josephine Johnson, Cary Jones, Mary Korsmeyer, Laura Phillips, Bryan Pizzi, Jessica Roberts and Harry Stiffler.
“As an entity, the Washington County Bar Association does not recommend, support or oppose any individual candidate, and the results are not to be considered an endorsement of or as opposition to any individual candidate,” the news release continued.