Dean R. Patton
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2019
Dean R. Patton is a magisterial district judge for the Berks County Magisterial District in Pennsylvania.[1] He was appointed to the court on October 17, 2000. He was re-elected on November 5, 2013, for a term that ends in 2019.[2]
Elections
2013
Patton ran for election to the Berks County Magisterial District.
Primary: He received 81.9 percent of the vote in the Republican primary on May 21, 2013, defeating Gilbert W. Carbon. Patton cross-filed as a Democrat and also won that primary.
General: He won without opposition in the general election on November 5, 2013.
Education
Patton attended Penn State University; Community College; the University of Maryland; and El Paso Community College for law enforcement courses and training.[2]
Career
- 2000-2019: Judge, Berks County Magisterial District
- 1981-2000: Officer, Muhlenberg Police Department
- 1978-1981: Officer, Laureldale Police Department[2]
Noteworthy events
Mother of seven dies in jail while serving time for truancy fines (2014)
A mother of seven who faced about $2,000 in fines and fees for her children's truancy died in her cell while attempting to erase her debt by serving a 48-hour jail sentence that Judge Patton had handed down.[3]
On June 7, 2014, Eileen DiNino was found dead. She was halfway through serving a sentence for debt that had been accumulating since 1999. Initially, the fees were for truancy fines accumulated when her children missed school. However, unpaid court fees had piled up on top of the fines. After failing to pay the debt for four years, she was sent to jail.[3]
The time in jail, Patton said, can sometimes break the bad habits of parents who are not responsible in taking their children to school. However, the judge was remorseful for the situation, explaining his reluctance to send DiNino to jail:
| “ | This lady didn't need to be there. We don't do debtors prisons anymore. That went out 100 years ago.[4] | ” |
The cause of DiNino's death was not considered suspicious. At the time of her death, four of her children still lived with her at home.[5] Her family filed a wrongful death suit against Berks County and PrimeCare Medical, the company providing healthcare at the county jail.[6][7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania Courts, "Magisterial District Judges"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Reading Eagle, "Dean R. Patton, Muhlenberg Township district judge," April 21, 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 CBS News, "Woman jailed over truancy fines found dead in cell," June 13, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ABC News (AP), "Woman Jailed Over Truancy Fines Found Dead in Cell," June 11, 2014
- ↑ The Morning Call, "Family of woman who died in Berks County Jail files federal lawsuit," April 23, 2015
- ↑ WFMZ TV, "Berks County slapped with wrongful death lawsuit," April 24, 2015
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
