Lackawanna County voters will have the opportunity put a new judge on the bench.
In a highly competitive race, five candidates are vying for the sole vacant seat on the county bench after Senior Judge Chester Harhut became a part-time judge because he reached the state's mandatory retirement age of 70.
The candidates offer a wealth of legal experience, making it a tough choice for voters to decide who would be the best person to join the ranks of a county judiciary with, collectively, decades of experience in criminal and civil law.
Those judges, like Michael J. Barrasse, Vito P. Geroulo, Terrence R. Nealon, Carmen D. Minora, President Judge Thomas J. Munley and others, have made very difficult rulings in high-profile murder cases as well as sifting through the many shades of gray that multi-million dollar medical malpractice lawsuits offer.
The candidates are: Alyce Hailstone Farrell, 45; James A. Gibbons, 55; P. Timothy Kelly, 54; Patti Grande Rieder, 46; and Donna Davis Javitz, 52.
None of the candidates has ever been a court of common pleas judge.
Two local magistrates will try to climb the judicial ladder, however.
Ms. Farrell is a magisterial district judge whose Scranton jurisdiction includes Central City and the Hill Section. Mr. Gibbons is also a magisterial district judge, serving the Abingtons.
The other candidates - Mr. Kelly, Ms. Javitz, and Ms. Rieder - offer extensive experience working in the county court system. Ms. Rieder is a special hearing master in county court. Ms. Javitz and Mr. Kelly are both local attorneys.
The candidates were asked what they believe are the most glaring weaknesses of the county court system.
Judge Farrell did not identify a weakness and said the "structure of the court system is sound."
Judge Gibbons said the question "presumes that there are glaring weaknesses in the court system."
"Innovations such as drug court, mental health court, truancy and juvenile court demonstrate that our county court has evolved to meet many challenges and still dispense justice firmly but evenly," he said.
A backlog of civil cases is a big problem, Mr. Kelly said.
"From the time a civil case is placed on the trial list, there is approximately a one-year delay until the case is actually heard by a judge," he said. Ms. Rieder pointed to the guardian ad litem program, noting a lack of oversight by the court regarding caseload and billing practices.
In Lackawanna County, a guardian ad litem is a court-appointed attorney representing children in parent-custody disputes, as well as other issues and disputes.
"This problem is compounded by the fact that there is a sole guardian ad litem, making the ability to effectively manage an excessive caseload almost impossible," she said.
Ms. Javitz said any court, not only in Lackawanna County, can improve its communication with the public and the press.
"The ability of the court to communicate with the public is critical to the public perception of the court," she said.
All of the candidates have cross-filed as Republicans and Democrats. Voters will be able to pick one in the upcoming May 21 primary.
Contact the writer: smcconnell@timesshamrock.com, @smcconnellTT on Twitter