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Donald R. Totaro
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Donald R. Totaro (Republican Party) was a judge of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He left office on December 31, 2021.
Totaro was a judge for the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was appointed to the court in 2007. Totaro retired from the court on December 31, 2021.[1]
Biography
Totaro earned his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and his J.D. from the American University.[2]
Below is a summary of Totaro's professional experience:[2]
- 2007-2021: Judge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- 1999-2007: District attorney, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- 1987-1999: Assistant district attorney, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- 1987: Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar
Elections
2017
Pennsylvania held local judicial elections on November 7, 2017. The filing deadline for judges running for retention was September 8, 2017. For the Courts of Common Pleas, after a judge has won an initial partisan election, subsequent terms are attained through retention elections.[3] [4]
| Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas, Donald R. Totaro Retention, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Donald R. Totaro | 71.38% | |
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Unofficial Returns," accessed November 8, 2017 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The 439 judges of the court of common pleas are elected to 10-year terms in partisan elections. Candidates may cross-file with both political parties for the partisan primaries, which are followed by general elections where the primary winners from each party compete.[5][6] Judges must run in yes-no retention elections if they wish to continue serving after their first term. A separate part of the ballot is designated for these elections, and judges' names appear without respect to party affiliation.[5][7]
- The president judge of each Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas is chosen by either peer vote or seniority, depending on the size of the court. Statewide, all courts composed of more than seven individuals must select their chief judge by peer vote. Those with seven or fewer members select their chief by seniority.[5][8]
Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must:[5]
- have state residence for at least one year;
- be a district resident for at least one year (for common pleas judges);
- be a member of the state bar; and
- be under the age of 75.
While retirement at 75 is mandatory, judges may apply for senior judge status. Senior judges may serve as such until the last day of the calendar year in which they turn 78.[8]
See also
- Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
- Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Courts in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2017
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "Lancaster Online" , "Two Lancaster County judges retiring, leaving vacancies likely to go unfilled till next election" accessed July 11, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Our Campaigns, "Totaro, Donald R.," accessed July 10, 2013
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Retention Listing," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Pennsylvania," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ The Morning Call, "Ban Cross-filing As One Step," January 24, 1985
- ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "In Re: Nomination Papers of Marakay Rogers, Christina Valente and Carl J. Romanelli," November 7, 2006
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Pennsylvania Code, "Chapter 7. Assignment of Judges," accessed September 3, 2014
| ||||||||||
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
