Maria L. Dantos
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Maria L. Dantos was a judge of the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.[1] Dantos was first appointed to the court in June 2007, by then Governor Ed Rendell (D). She was elected later that year to a full 10-year term.[2] She left office in 2020.[3]
Biography
Dantos earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and her J.D. from Syracuse University.[4]
Below is a summary of Dantos' professional experience:
- 1989-2007: District Attorney's Office
- 1986-1989: Public defender, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
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.[5] [6]
| Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, Maria L. Dantos Retention, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Maria L. Dantos | 74.67% | |
| 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.[7][8] 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.[7][9]
- 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.[7][10]
Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must:[7]
- 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.[10]
See also
- Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
- Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
- Courts in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2017
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The United Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "Common Pleas Judges," accessed August 6, 2015
- ↑ Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, "Judge Maria L. Dantos," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ The Morning Call, "Backlash to comments about police brutality cements Lehigh County judge’s decision to retire: ‘I felt betrayed,’" August 27, 2020
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile: Maria L. Dantos," accessed July 18, 2013
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Retention Listing," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 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
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Pennsylvania Code, "Chapter 7. Assignment of Judges," accessed September 3, 2014
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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
