May 13, 2017 3 min read

When Judge Debbie O’Dell Seneca stepped down from Washington County Court at the beginning of 2015, it created a vacuum that lasted for 18 months until the appointment of attorney Damon Faldowski to fill the seat was approved. With Faldowski declining to run for the seat in his own right, it has created an opening for five candidates to seek a spot on the court for a 10-year term.

A lament we have heard more than once is that, even with a full complement of six judges, there’s a torrent of cases coming into the courthouse, and that the county could handle adding another judge or two to the common pleas bench. When or if this will happen remains to be seen. But it does underscore the need for the new judge to be experienced and capable from the get-go.

For that reason, we believe Kristin Clingerman is the best choice voters could make in the Tuesday primary election.

There are other strong candidates in the running, but none can match Clingerman’s credentials. An assistant district attorney, she is the lead prosecutor in the Specialized Victims Investigative and Prosecution Unit within the district attorney’s office. Investigating and prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault cases, Clingerman developed the office 20 years ago. She also has an impressive background as a public defender and an attorney in private practice. Of all the candidates, we believe Clingerman would be able to get off to a running start.

We were also impressed by other candidates in the race. Phillippe Melograne, a 55-year-old Peters Township attorney, was appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell to serve on Washington County Common Pleas Court following the death of Judge Mark Mascara in 2010. He served for a year, but was unable to win the seat in his own right, having been defeated in a 2011 election by Gary Gilman. Along with his yearlong stint on the bench, Melograne has experience in private practice and as a prosecutor.

As a state representative since 2011, Brandon Neuman has the highest level of name recognition in the field, and we have been impressed with his work as a legislator. Though it seems like it would be a step down to go from Harrisburg to Washington County Courthouse, the 35-year-old Neuman says the opportunity would allow him to spend more time tending to his family and also allow him to make more of a difference in the issues the county is facing. Though he lacks the same level of experience as the other candidates, he would likely be a capable and thoughtful jurist, whether he wins a seat now or at some point in the future.

We were struck by the sincerity of Joyce Hatfield-Wise, a 52-year-old Amwell Township resident who has served as the solicitor for the Children and Youth Services Agency. She also co-founded the organization Child First PA, a forensic interview and court training program for child-abuse cases.

The field is rounded out by Charles Kurowski, a Washington attorney who, in Harold Stassen-style, has run in multiple judicial races. He did not respond to a request to speak to the Observer-Reporter editorial board.

All five candidates have cross-filed in the race, so if one wins both the Democratic and Republican nominations, the general election contest in November will be moot. It also should be noted that, in an unusual coincidence, all five candidates are graduates of Duquesne University’s law school.