Harrisburg- Calling a fair judicial system a top priority for Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform (PCCJR) today released its voter education guide for the two open seats on the Superior Court. The guide, along with completed candidate questionnaires, is available to voters at https://paforciviljusticereform.org/pa-judicial-election-guide/.
“Pennsylvania’s Superior Court has a tremendous responsibility and impacts every citizen, business, school, healthcare organization, property owner, and taxpayer in the Commonwealth,” said PCCJR Executive Director Curt Schroder. “It’s important for voters to carefully consider the candidates, their experience, and their perspectives on legal issues when determining who will earn their support.”
This year Pennsylvanians will be electing two judges to the Superior Court. The Superior Court is an appellate court, which hears cases on appeal from county courts of common pleas. Superior Court judges are charged with interpreting statutes as well as case law. This court is often the final arbiter of cases as most civil and criminal cases on appeal end at this judicial level. In addition to the Superior Court races, one judge on the Superior and two judges on the Commonwealth Court are standing for retention on the ballot.
“PCCJR developed this election guide to help voters zero in on issues and judicial philosophies that will undoubtedly help shape the courts and future court decisions,” Schroder said. “We are grateful to the candidates who chose to participate and hope that the voters will find it both informative and useful in formulating their decisions in November.”
Recent surveys revealed that 89% of the businesses responding said that a state’s litigation environment is likely to impact where they will do business. The same survey found Pennsylvania mired at 39th in the nation for its litigation climate. In fact, the City of Philadelphia made the list of Cities or Counties with the least favorable litigation environment. In addition, doctors and hospitals are threatened by renewed attempts to allow venue shopping so cases can be brought in high verdict jurisdictions.
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform is a 501(c )(6), not-for-profit, nonpartisan advocacy organization comprised of a diverse group of organizations and individuals committed to bringing fairness to Pennsylvania’s courts by raising awareness of civil justice issues and advocating for legal reform. Additional information is available at https://paforciviljusticereform.org.
CONTACT: Curt Schroder
717-461-3577 phone
curt@pccjr.org