Caroline Turner

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Caroline Turner

Democratic Party

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2034

Years in position

1

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 7, 2023

Education

Graduate

University of Pennsylvania, 2001

Law

Temple Law School, 2005

Other

Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, St Thomas' Hospital, 1982

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Attorney at law

Contact

Campaign website

Caroline Turner (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She assumed office on January 1, 2024. Her current term ends on January 2, 2034.

Turner (Democratic Party) ran for election for judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She won in the general election on November 7, 2023.

Turner also ran for election for judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court in Pennsylvania. She did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on May 16, 2023.

Turner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Caroline Turner was born in Iserlohn, Germany. She graduated from the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing, St Thomas' Hospital in 1982, earned a graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001, and earned a law degree from Temple Law School in 2005. Her career experience includes working as an attorney at law.

Turner has been associated with the following organizations:

• Philadelphia Bar Association
• NAACP
• Change Church, NJ
• Sharing Excess
• Young Chances Foundation
• CORA
• Eviction Diversion Program

Elections

2023

Court of common pleas

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judges Genece E. Brinkley, Joel S. Johnson, and Rayford A. Means filed to run for retention in 2023 but later withdrew. As a result, 10 seats on the court were up in the primary election, but 13 seats were up in the general election on November 7, 2023. The Democratic Party nominated candidates James Eisenhower, Elvin Ross, and Raj Sandher to run for the additional three seats in the general election.

See also: City elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023)

General election

General election for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (13 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tamika Washington (D)	9.5	204,468
✔		Natasha Taylor-Smith (D)	9.4	201,305
✔		Samantha Williams (D)	8.9	190,770
✔		Kay Yu (D)	8.6	184,310
✔		Brian McLaughlin (D)	8.4	181,161
✔	Submit photo	Chesley Lightsey (D)	8.2	175,248
✔	Submit photo	John Padova Jr. (D)	7.7	165,392
✔		Jessica Brown (D)	7.2	155,170
✔		Caroline Turner (D)	7.1	152,850
✔	Submit photo	Damaris Garcia (D)	6.6	141,108
✔	Submit photo	James Eisenhower (D)	6.5	138,927
✔	Submit photo	Elvin Ross (D)	6.0	128,519
✔	Submit photo	Raj Sandher (D)	5.8	124,315
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	3,961

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,147,504
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (13 seats)

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Natasha Taylor-Smith	10.3	145,242
✔		Tamika Washington	9.3	130,896
✔		Samantha Williams	8.6	121,340
✔		Kay Yu	7.8	109,961
✔	Submit photo	John Padova Jr.	7.2	100,946
✔	Submit photo	Chesley Lightsey	6.5	91,646
✔		Brian McLaughlin	6.2	87,367
✔	Submit photo	Damaris Garcia	6.2	86,824
✔		Caroline Turner	6.1	86,095
✔		Jessica Brown	5.8	81,517
		Will Braveman	5.6	78,447
		Wade Albert	5.5	78,124
		Kenneth Joel	5.0	69,900
	Submit photo	Qawi Abdul-Rahman	3.9	54,810
	Submit photo	Melissa Francis	3.5	48,868
	Submit photo	Joe Green	2.7	38,524
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	865

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,411,372
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• MK Feeney (D)
• Colleen McIntyre Osborne (D)
• Aaron Bell (D)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Turner in this election.

Municipal court

See also: City elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023)

General election

General election for Philadelphia Municipal Court (2 seats)

Barbara Thomson and Colleen McIntyre Osborne defeated Rania Major in the general election for Philadelphia Municipal Court on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Barbara Thomson (D)	50.1	208,221
✔		Colleen McIntyre Osborne (D)	39.0	162,250
	Submit photo	Rania Major (R)	10.8	44,774
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	420

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 415,665
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court (2 seats)

Barbara Thomson and Colleen McIntyre Osborne defeated Melissa Francis and Rania Major in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Barbara Thomson	41.4	126,504
✔		Colleen McIntyre Osborne	29.1	88,841
	Submit photo	Melissa Francis	15.2	46,476
	Submit photo	Rania Major	14.1	43,218
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	511

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 305,550
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joe Green (D)
• Caroline Turner (D)
• Qawi Abdul-Rahman (D)
• Cortez Patton (D)
• MK Feeney (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court (2 seats)

Rania Major advanced from the Republican primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court on May 16, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Rania Major	97.9	10,429
		Other/Write-in votes	2.1	228

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,657
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2021

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judges Gary S. Glazer, James Murray Lynn, Arnold L. New, and Robert J. Rebstock filed to run for retention in 2021, but later withdrew. As a result, eight seats on the court were up in the primary election, but 12 seats were up in the general election on November 2, 2021. The Democratic Party nominated candidates Monica Gibbs, Leanne Litwin, Mark Moore, and John Sabatina Jr. to run for the additional four seats in the general election.

See also: City elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2021)

General election

General election for Philadelphia Municipal Court (5 seats)

Greg Yorgey-Girdy, Fran McCloskey, Michael Lambert, George Twardy Jr., and Christian DiCicco won election in the general election for Philadelphia Municipal Court on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Yorgey-Girdy (D)	21.0	146,913
✔	Submit photo	Fran McCloskey (D)	20.1	140,486
✔	Submit photo	Michael Lambert (D)	19.9	139,656
✔		George Twardy Jr. (D)	19.9	139,044
✔	Submit photo	Christian DiCicco (D)	18.9	132,537
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	1,412

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 700,048
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court (5 seats)

Greg Yorgey-Girdy, Michael Lambert, and George Twardy Jr. defeated Barbara Thomson in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia Municipal Court on May 18, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Yorgey-Girdy	27.9	95,468
✔	Submit photo	Michael Lambert	27.0	92,500
✔		George Twardy Jr.	24.1	82,529
		Barbara Thomson	21.0	71,870

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 342,367
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Christian DiCicco (D)
• John Padova Jr. (D)
• Caroline Turner (D)
• Fran McCloskey (D)
• Rania Major (D)
• Sherrie Cohen (D)

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Caroline Turner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Caroline Turner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Turner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was formerly a British nurse, human activist and have been a PA and NJ lawyer for the last 17 years. I started out my legal career as a public defender for 11 years where I tried numerous felony cases ranging from homicides to white collar crimes and numerous other felony cases in-between. Since the beginning of 2018, I have been a plaintiff's medical malpractice trial attorney, trying numerous civil cases to civil juries. I also represent numerous criminally charged defendants pro bono as well as many wrongfully convicted prisoners through pro bono Post Conviction Relief Act petitions. My work in the community is extensive as I participate in food-sharing and numerous events alongside Young Chances Foundation. I won a City Council award for "Outstanding Community Service", in 2022. I also serve as a volunteer mediator for the Eviction Diversion Program which has been a nationwide example of successful resolutions to landlord-tenant disputes both during and post COVID in Philadelphia.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Fight for Restorative Justice.
• Reform Pre-Trial Detention.
• Enact Court Transparency.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about restoring communities ravaged by historically racist policies (such as red-lining) where residents have not been able to afford home-repairs, home-loans and mortgages and where schools are underfunded, recreation centers have closed and where residents have been over-targeted eg. the war on drugs. Many communities in Philadelphia have been divested of their resources as well as their family members through mass incarceration. I care passionately about restoring these communities by reinvesting in them. I also care passionately about the scourge of gun violence in our city. We need to urgently implement stricter gun control measures. Of the 57 blocks identified as those where more than 30% of the homicides in our city occur, 53 were historically red-lined. The relationship between poverty, disinvestment and violence is one of ongoing generational trauma that we need to recognize and address. For me, reinvesting in communities that have been the most badly affected is key to giving hope and the promise of a brighter future to our present generation of children.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am very respectful of people in general. I am fair but also recognize that life is much harder for some people than others so would do my very best to make sure that people in my court are set up for success rather than failure. I will be accountable and transparent. I will acknowledge the pain of victims. I will follow the law at all times but will work to help maximize restorative justice as much as I can within the legal possibilities.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of fighting for justice.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My son died by suicide in 2017. Both our immigration and mental illness paid a part in his death. The pain of losing him is with me every moment of every day but I remember how proud he was that I fought for justice and I try to perpetuate his legacy by keeping on fighting.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia 2nd, 9th, 39a, 15th Wards, Senator Nikil Saval, State Rep. Rick Krajewski, Working Families Party.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2021

Caroline Turner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

2023 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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External links

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Candidate

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

Website

Footnotes

Pennsylvania courts

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Federal courts:

Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania

State courts:

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts

State resources:

Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania