Matthew James (Pennsylvania)
Matthew James was a candidate for the Berks County Magisterial District in Pennsylvania. James was defeated in the general election on November 7, 2017.
Biography
James received a bachelor's degree from Albright College in 1994 and a J.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1997. His professional experience includes working as an attorney in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. James' affiliations include the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Berks County Bar Association, the Berks County Democratic Party, and Moment of Peace Adventures.[1]
Elections
2017
Pennsylvania held local judicial elections on November 7, 2017. A primary election occurred on May 16, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 7, 2017. Candidates and recently appointed judges of the Courts of Common Pleas must initially run in partisan elections. Subsequent terms are won through retention elections. Elections for the Magisterial District Courts are always partisan. Pennsylvania allows cross-filing for candidates running in partisan elections. Most candidates run in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.[2]
Steven Chieffo (R) defeated Matthew James (D) in the general election for the Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3.[3]
| Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3, General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Steven Chieffo |
59.16% | 4,384 | |
| Democratic | Matthew James | 40.80% | 3,023 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.04% | 3 | ||
| Total Votes | 7,410 | |||
| Source: Berks County, Pennsylvania, "Election Results," accessed November 7, 2017 | ||||
Matthew James defeated Steven Chieffo, Daniel VanBilliard, and David Krott in the Democratic primary for the Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3.[4]
| Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3, Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Matthew James |
38.76% | 662 |
| Steven Chieffo | 28.98% | 495 |
| Daniel VanBilliard | 19.50% | 333 |
| David Krott | 12.47% | 213 |
| Write-in votes | 0.29% | 5 |
| Total Votes | 1,708 | |
| Source: Berks County, Pennsylvania, "2017 Official Primary Election Results," May 16, 2017 | ||
Steven Chieffo defeated Matthew James, Daniel VanBilliard, and David Krott in the Republican primary for the Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3.[5]
| Berks County Magisterial District 23-3-3, Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Steven Chieffo |
44.66% | 965 |
| Matthew James | 23.28% | 503 |
| Daniel VanBilliard | 18.93% | 409 |
| David Krott | 13.05% | 282 |
| Write-in votes | 0.09% | 2 |
| Total Votes | 2,161 | |
| Source: Berks County, Pennsylvania, "2017 Official Primary Election Results," May 16, 2017 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
Judges of the Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts are selected in partisan elections. They serve six-year terms. After their initial term, magistrates must run for new terms in contested races.[6][7]
Qualifications
A judge must be:
- a local resident for at least one year;[7]
- a state bar member;*
- no younger than 21; and
- no older than 75.
*Magisterial district judges may alternatively pass a training course to sidestep the bar member requirement.[7]
Campaign themes
2017
On Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form, James wrote the following:
| “ | A candidate's party affiliation should not be considered more than a mere formality by the voters. A Magisterial District Judge will never rule upon the polarized issues that separate Republicans and Democrats. I am not seeking to be elected to advance any of my underlying political beliefs, but to protect my community from abuses that may otherwise influence jurists who are not indoctrinated with a Code of Ethics via a professional license or familiar with the Rules of Evidence and Civil/Criminal Procedure from years of legal practice. My candidacy is to see that my home remains safely in the hands of its residents and not that of professional legal advocates whose loyalties must run only to their clients. My loyalty will run to my community.[8] | ” |
| —Matthew James, 2017[1] | ||
Judicial philosophy
Below is James' response to the question "What is your political philosophy?" on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form.
| “ | An uninformed, uneducated or cavalier decision by a Magisterial District Judge ("MDJ") can have long-lasting and devastating consequences for the residents of a community. If a person is charged with a crime that carries the potential for incarceration, he or she has the right to be represented by a legally-educated and licensed attorney before appearing before a MDJ. However, that same person, if not more importantly the victim of the crime and the arresting officer, does not have the right to have the case heard and ruled upon by a similarly educated and trained MDJ. Such imbalances also arise when one civil litigant, such as a corporation or an individual with a larger income, appears with an attorney and his or her adversary does not. As I prosecutor and civil attorney, I observed non-lawyer MDJ's make decisions based upon the notoriety of a party's attorney, almost taking his/her arguments and contentions as the truth, rather than the underlying facts and testimony. Through my legal education, training and experience, I hope to better provide an even playing field for anyone who comes before me in my community's Magisterial District Court.[8] | ” |
| —Matthew James, 2017[1] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on July 30, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed February 23, 2017
- ↑ Berks County, Pennsylvania, "Election Results," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Berks County, Pennsylvania, "2017 Primary Candidate List," accessed April 11, 2017
- ↑ Berks County, Pennsylvania, "2017 Primary Candidate List," accessed April 11, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Courts, "How Judges Are Elected," accessed July 22, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Pennsylvania; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
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