Jessica Lynch
Jessica Lynch was a candidate for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. Lynch was defeated in the primary election on May 16, 2017.
Elections
2017
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for two open seats on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.[1]
| Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Patrick Connelly |
28.05% | 53,844 |
| David Spurgeon Incumbent |
23.41% | 44,939 |
| Mary McGinley | 22.47% | 43,132 |
| Rosemary Crawford | 9.72% | 18,662 |
| Pauline Calabrese | 9.38% | 18,013 |
| Jessica Lynch | 6.86% | 13,166 |
| Write-in votes | 0.11% | 217 |
| Total Votes | 191,973 | |
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Primary Judge of the Court of Common Pleas - Allegheny," accessed May 16, 2017 | ||
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for two open seats on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.[2]
| Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mary McGinley |
22.46% | 12,959 |
| Patrick Connelly |
21.35% | 12,322 |
| David Spurgeon Incumbent | 19.12% | 11,033 |
| Pauline Calabrese | 13.08% | 7,549 |
| Rosemary Crawford | 12.58% | 7,256 |
| Jessica Lynch | 11.04% | 6,373 |
| Write-in votes | 0.36% | 209 |
| Total Votes | 57,701 | |
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Primary Judge of the Court of Common Pleas - Allegheny," accessed May 16, 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.[3][4] 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.[3][5]
- 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.[3][6]
Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must:[3]
- 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.[6]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Candidate Database," accessed March 20, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Candidate Database," accessed March 20, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 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
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 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
