Nazareth Mini-Judge Candidates Will Face Voters Thursday Night

The Express Times has an excellent feature about the cast of characters who want to be Nazareth's next district judge. This Thursday, NewsOverCoffee and Nazareth News Agency take it to the next level. They're hosting a district judge candidates' forum at the news agency (60 S. Main St) from 7 to 9 PM. All candidates will be there, and they'll be answering questions.

Duties:

Unlike full blown judges, magistrates are just mini-judges. True, they do get to wear black dresses, but can't even sentence you to death. What fun is that? Worse, they must face the voters every six years. No ten year retentions for them! And on a rotating basis, they must be available 24/7.

The big judges' website includes a detailed description of a mini-judge's daily duties: "District Justices have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $8000.00. In misdemeanor and felony cases, District Justices have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt." I probably hold the record for most overtime parking tickets in Nazareth, so I know the office very well. Although the annual salary for this position is $74,566, most magistrates consider themselves part-time workers.

Candidates:

Five mini-judge wannabes are fighting over Nazareth's magisterial district, which includes Nazareth, Bath and Stockertown boroughs, as well as Upper Nazareth and East Allen Townships. This rogues' gallery includes Bangor lawyer Yvonne Falcone, Colonial Region police detective Gary Hammer, Norco prison boss Todd Buskirk, Upper Nazareth top cop Alan Siegfried and deputy sheriff John Capobianco.

I've told you before I intend to vote for Capobianco. I tried to get on his campaign team, but he's been warned about me and has had the good sense to ignore my calls. John is the best of a good bunch, but I've got plenty of hard questions for the other candidates. I'll lay them out here, and hope they can answer them on Thursday. Maybe one or more will surprise me. I'll also post any of their written responses as separate blogs.

1) Yvonne Falcone. - Falcone claims our next mini-judge must be an attorney because of the "complexity of the law". Really? Are laymen incompetent? Does that include layman Elmo Frey, our senior district judge? Last time I checked, the state legislature imposes no law degree requirement for magistrates. Does Falcone have the right to substitute her judgment for theirs? My own experience is that the best district judges are layman. They have something most lawyers lack - common sense.

But since Falcone believes only lawyers should be magistrates, then that should mean that experienced lawyers make the best mini-judges. So why have I never seen her in a courtroom? Has she ever tried a single jury trial in Northampton County?

Is Falcone, a practicing attorney, just looking for a part-time job to supplement her income? Will she stop practicing law and devote herself full-time as magistrate? Or will she continue to practice, at least in some capacity, like nearly every other lawyer-magistrate? JD tells me that Falcone views the "magistrate position as a full-time job." That's not good enough. I don't want her to claim later that she is only practicing law part time.

Is Falcone tied to the local Democratic party machine? She used one of its biggest cogs, committeeman Rodney Applegate, to bounce candidate Linda Silfies off the ballot simply because Silfies had only 96 instead of 100 valid signatures. Give me a break! Is she that afraid of a little democracy?

Finally, it's no secret that Falcone's boss, Attorney Dave Ceraul, has faxed local lawyers asking them to help Falcone. Does this make Falcone "free of bias," as she claims? Or does it instead paint her as someone promoting job security for the local bar? After all, unrepresented litigants are incapable of grasping the "complexity of the law."

2) Todd Buskirk. - As Northampton County's Director of Corrections, Buskirk rakes in an annual salary of $79,963. If elected magistrate, he'll retire from the prison. With his twenty-five years of service, he will be able to demand, and get, a pension nearly equal to his annual salary. So taxpayers will be paying both Buskirk's pension and his magistrate's salary. Does it make fiscal sense to elect someone for $150,000 per year when all the other candidates will only cost us half that amount? Aren't you sick of all this double-dipping?

Here's another problem I have with Buskirk. Nearly every one of his signs is next to a building owned by Ray Orwig, Nazareth's biggest commercial and residential landlord. What the hell is up with that? When campaign finance reports are filed, we'll see that Orwig is a big time donor. Orwig, incidentally, owns the building where the district justice office is currently located. The county rents from him. Did Buskirk make a secret deal with Orwig to continue leasing that office? Will he remain there after Nazareth moves its offices to Main Street?

Finally, I'd like to know why Buskirk is playing up a "tough stance on gang activity" approach. Does he know a single candidate who disagrees with that? Come on, Todd, that's just a cynical play on emotions. I expect that from a DA or a cop, but not a mini-judge.

3) The cop candidates. It never fails. No matter where a magisterial election is held, there are almost always a few cops who want the job. This race is no exception. Colonial Region Detective Gary Hammer and Upper Nazareth Police Chief Alan Siegfried incredibly think their police experience qualifies them. I think it does quite the reverse. Their brothers in blue actively appear in Nazareth's district court. How the hell can they expect to be impartial? Won't they be just a little too familiar and friendly with the Colonial Region, Nazareth and Upper Nazareth cops who routinely appear before them? A district judge is supposed to be neutral and impartial - not another arm of the police department.

Take a look at how Hammer views the job - "I look at this as the next step in my law-enforcement career." Huh? I hate to break it to you, Gary, but a district judge does not enforce the law. He upholds it. There's a difference.

4) John Capobianco. - As a deputy sheriff, Capobianco does have a law enforcement background. But unlike the cop candidates, he has no ties with local police departments that will appear before him. He'll move his offices to the new Nazareth municipal center. That will end up saving us money. He won't be collecting a pension, and that will save us even more money. He will have no other job, but will instead devote all his time and energy to the position. Rather than talking about "getting tough," Capobianco will start a program to educate our youth, and will visit schools on a regular basis to provide some educational awareness. He won't owe anything to Nazareth landlords, local lawyers or his pals on the force. His loyalty will be to the public.

I know these are tough questions and observations. I'm a miserable bastard who should probably be shot. But to the credit of each mini-judge candidate, I'll be getting answers Thursday night.

For Nazareth District Judge - Anybody But Falcone

"You're going to say nasty things about me. ... No, I'm just kidding."

That's how Yvonne Falcone ended her conversation with me at a candidates' forum for five mini-judge hopefuls at the Nazareth News Agency a few weeks ago. I had asked her some pretty tough questions, and was impressed by her answers.

Actually, I was impressed by all of them, and said, "We're very lucky to have such a fine group interested in this very tough and important job. Each would be outstanding." When I told you about their campaign finance reports on Friday, there was nothing unsavory about any of them. In fact, I complimented Falcone for shunning the easy temptation of money from other lawyers.

But on Friday, Falcone finally showed her true colors. She lacks judicial temperament.

Someone, posing as a concerned citizen, popped on this blog to tell us he checked the finance reports, too, as well as Falcone's ethics records and even her Moravian College transcripts. "She checks out well."

This is Nazareth baloney. First, nearly all disciplinary actions against attorneys are private matters - there's simply no way to check private reprimands. Second, colleges won't release transcripts without the consent of the graduating student. It violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Finally, other than reporters and the candidates themselves, very few citizens have the time to look through campaign finance reports. It's clear to me that this "concerned citizen" is someone closely associated with Falcone's campaign.

That would have been fine with me, but this "concerned citizen" had to take things to the next level by unfairly trashing Norco prison boss Todd Buskirk and dismissing the rest, all good men, as politically connected nitwits who just don't know the law.

My response to this concerned citizen? "Who the hell do you think you're kidding? You're obviously in Falcone's camp, and might even be the candidate herself." I asked Falcone to condemn the disparaging remarks about other candidates.

Falcone responded by telling me these kinds of things.

(1) "[A]s I said at the candidate's forum, I knew you'd come back to say nasty things about me." (Looks like she wasn't kidding after all. And incidentally, she prejudged me, not the best quality in a judge).

(2) "I have not spoken unkind words about any of the candidates and neither has any of my supporters to my knowledge." (All she has to do is look at my blog to know that's untrue.)

(3) "I also see they accessed your ethics record too so there must be some public access." (Now she attacks me personally- very judicial).

(4) "I graduated from Moravian College ranked 10/365 with a 3.88 GPA. ... I cannot denounce a good scholastic record. I was also ranked 5/118 at Pen Argyl High School. Academically and in legal qualifications/experience, I far surpass my opponents." (Well, la-de-da! Aren't we full of ourselves? Not much humility here. Not much reality, either. No jury ever asked me how I finished in high school ... or college ... or law school. There's very little correlation between class rank and intelligence. Some of the brightest people I know never went to school.)

After hearing from the real Yvonne Falcone, I could never support her for judge. She's a braggart who looks down her nose at the other candidates. As a judge, she'll look down her nose at you, too.

Colonial Region police detective Gary Hammer, Norco warden Todd Buskirk, Upper Nazareth top cop Alan Siegfried and deputy sheriff John Capobianco, the remaining candidates, would each make a fine district judge. Unlike Falcone, they have enough common sense to avoid mixing it up with a blogger.

Nazareth Magistrate Candidates Meet the Voters

I'm a miserable bastard. I'm so nasty I sometimes start arguments with myself. I'm so mean some poor waitress once burst into tears when I demanded to know why my eggs weren't poached for three minutes instead of two. I've even been shot a few times, but keep getting up like Michael Myers. Yes, I'm the bogeyman (with the bogey nose).

On Tuesday, true to form, I laid out some pretty nasty questions for the five candidates who think they can be Nazareth's next district judge. I figured these written interrogatories would scare off at least three of them. Apparently, I wasn't nasty enough. Last night, I met all five judicial hopefuls during a candidates' forum at the Nazareth News Agency. Not only did they answer every question, but they were nice to me, too!

What I learned last night is that, in this cruel and cold world, some good people still care deeply about their community. Five would like to be Nazareth's next district judge. At least thirty more stopped by just to introduce themselves. Ross Nunamaker from News Over Coffee set up tables and very nice name cards for each jurist-in-waiting, while Heidi Wisner at Nazareth News Agency began making the cappuccino and espresso. And we each had nice one-on-one sessions in a relaxed setting. Let me tell you what I learned.

1) Yvonne Falcone. - Not only did I meet Yvonne, but I also had the privilege of meeting her husband, Dan, who has prepared all of her campaign fliers. She's very proud of him, and I liked the way she praised him. My reservations about Falcone are based on the following: most lawyers who are elected as district judge continue practicing law; her belief that only attorneys should be magistrates; her ties to Dem committeeman Rodney Applegate, a very big cog in the local Democratic machine; and her use of Attorney Dave Ceraul to solicit support from local lawyers. She answered every concern.

Falcone explained that, if elected magistrate, she would stop practicing law completely. She would be uncomfortable trying to maintain a law practice while serving as a judge. She told me the four week course of instruction for nonlawyers is inadequate because the law has changed dramatically in the last twenty years, and explained that 60-70% of the voters actually believe that magistrates are attorneys. She acknowledged that many nonlawyers like Elmo Frey have that elusive "common sense" quality, but believes people will see that in her, too.

She explained that Rodney Applegate has given her some support, but her campaign is largely self-funded. She played no part in Applegate's decision to challenge a nomination petition, although she said the "rules are the rules." She has not been funded by the Democratic machine, and has accepted no contribution from any attorney likely to appear before her.

Her chief desire is to create a forum "where people can feel open and comfortable. I think I can make a difference." I think she can, too.

Falcone has twelve years experience as an attorney, and clerked in Lehigh County for Judge Wallitsch.

2) Todd Buskirk. - Before I went to last night's shindig, there was a letter waiting for me from my friend, Larry Kisslinger. I opened it up and, lo and behold, Larry was asking me to consider Todd. "Currently, Todd is the Director of Corrections at Northampton County Prison, overseeing a 25 million dollar budget and nearly 240 employees. Todd has over 25 years of experience in the adult and juvenile justice systems and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University specializing in the Administration of Justice. His education and professional experience in the criminal justice field give him a very solid background to be a successful District Judge." Now he tells me!

When I sat down with Todd tonight, he was so relaxed and affable you'd never guess he oversees a pretty big prison operation with lots of daily problems. Here's my reservations about Todd: he'd be collecting a hefty public pension while being paid as a magistrate; he has close ties to Ray Orwig, Nazareth's biggest residential and commercial landlord; and he was plying on emotions by talking about a "tough stance on gang activity." Like Falcone, Buskirk had answers for every one of my concerns.

Buskirk explained that, if elected, he'd freeze his pension and won't be collecting anything until he turns 60. So there won't be any double-dipping, as I originally had suspected. He explained his tie to Orwig by telling me they've been friends for twenty-five years, having coached little league baseball together. He told me that none of Orwig's landlord-tenant cases are handled in Nazareth, so he wouldn't be able to do Orwig any favors. He'd have no problem relocating the magistrate's office, and has made no secret deal to continue renting from Orwig. He would like to see the office centrally located. Finally, he told me he'd like to educate schoolchildren and the public about gang activity, and this proactive approach is what he meant by his gang remarks.

Like Falcone, Buskirk has no intention of accepting any other employment if elected district judge.

3) Alan Siegfried. - Siegfried has been a police officer in Upper Nazareth for over thirty years. For eleven of those years, he's been the chief. After speaking to him for a few minutes, I realized this guy is a class act. He's an "old school" cop, one who is more interested in doing the right thing than in notching arrests on his belt.

Not only did I meet Chief Siegfried, but I also had a nice conversation with his wife, Sandra, and his daughter, Danielle. They are really nice and decent people, the kind you'd like to have as neighbors. My concern about Siegfried? He'd have a difficult time being impartial when deciding cases involving other police officers, especially those in his own department.

I laid it out, and Siegfried quietly but firmly told me he has a strong ethical belief in impartiality, and he developed this because he is a police officer. He told me he has to handle disputes all the time, and can't take sides. He evaluates everything in front of him before making a decision. "Just because someone tells you there's a crime doesn't mean a crime actually occurred." As I listened to him speak, I realized Siegfried already thinks like a fair-minded judge. And as chief, he doesn't have the daily interaction with officers that he may have had eleven years ago. He's a fair man, and I believe he could decide a case involving police officers impartially.

Siegfried will devote all his time and energy to the job if elected. He will seek no part-time position.

I asked him to rate Elmo Frey on a scale from 1 to 10. "12 1/2," he answered. "I know you like him." I asked if there was anything I could do after being so hard on him. "You have to vote for me." Everybody's a comedian.

4) Gary Hammer. - I've seen Gary in town and at the courthouse many times over the years, both as a Nazareth cop and in his current capacity as a detective in the Colonial Region police department. I've seen him in action. Like Chief Siegfried, he's a modest man. He's been a police officer since 1989 and has a degree in criminal justice, but has never been the pushy sort. I've seen him in Giant and at the local hardware store, quietly waiting in line like everyone else.

Gary had told JD Malone at The Express Times that he viewed the District Judge position as the "next step in my law enforcement career." Last night, he explained he should have stated that he views the magistrate's position as the next step and culmination of his career. He realizes a magistrate does not enforce, but upholds, the law.

Although Gary is the youngest person seeking this position, he's another "old school" cop. You won't see him wearing racing gloves or a goofy skinhead haircut. But I had raised the question - how can we expect him to be impartial in cases involving officers in his own department? "I believe I'm fair now and I'll be fair as a judge. I don't rush to judgment as a police officer and I won't rush to judgment as a judge."

Just like Chief Siegfried, Gary spoke quietly but confidently. His eyes tell me he's tired and puts in long hours. But he reamined affable and calm - like any good judge.

He told me how highly he thought of the other candidates. Even his campaign literature is brief and to the point. He's got a great deal of humility, a rare but valuable quality in any judge.

He has no intention of seeking any part-time position if elected.

5) John Capobianco. - I see Cap more than the other candidates because he works at the courthouse as a deputy sheriff. Cap is currently a Lieutenant in Northampton County's sheriff's department, and supervises the deputies in the criminal division. He's a Kutztown University grad, and has a degree in criminal justice. He's married to Andrea Capobianco, and has three children. If I could describe him in two words, they would be - quiet dignity.

Some of you question his relationship with popular state representative Craig Dally. Craig is his brother-in-law. He told me he's close to his brother-in-law, but "I'm running on my own merit."

On his own merit, Capobianco has risen through very competitive ranks in the sheriff's office. He's been a team leader in the Tactical Emergency Response Team, but that's not what he considers important. "Our community is important to me and my family. It is our home. I am committed to preserving the traditions of honesty and integrity that we all cherish. I will treat those who come before the court with great respect. I will serve our community fairly and impartially. You deserve a steward who will work hard, efficiently and responsibly to serve you."

John tells me he would like to work with Nazareth Borough officials to relocate the magisterial office to 30 Belvidere or the new municipal center. That will result in a public, instead of private, landlord that relieves the tax burden on all of us. He's also concerned about the proliferation of drugs and gangs in the community, and would like to visit classrooms on a regular basis to explain the problems caused by both. He'd also like to be a visible presence in the community.

Like everyone else, Cap tells me he will seek no other job if elected as magistrate. He won't try to supplement his income.

Who should you vote for? I'll be honest. John Capobianco is my first choice. He remains my first choice. But after listening to each candidate tonight, I'd applaud any choice. We're very lucky to have such a fine group interested in this very tough and important job. Each would be outstanding. Rarely have I been so impressed. Even more gratifying are the thirty people who cared enough to come out and meet the candidates. And Ross Nunamaker at News Over Coffee deserves special recognition for his commitment to the community.

Desert: Chad Cornell, a Nazareth Area School Board candidate, also dropped by tonight. That makes him the only school board candidate courteous enough to meet the community. Ross reports what Chad has to say.

It was also very nice to see Peg Ferraro, who's running for Tony Branco's at-large seat on Northampton County Council. Peg's escort was her husband, Dominic, who faced death regularly when he made the mistake of becoming one of my father's sailing companions.

Nazareth Mini-Judge Race is Very Close

Someone from Falcone's camp contacted me election eve to tell me, "I for one am shutting down my computer. I will turn it on again tomorrow evening to catch the results and see Falcone as the new District Judge."

Oopsie!

The Morning Call reports that Yvonne Falcone clings to a thirty-one vote lead over John Capobianco for the Democratic nomination. And Capobianco has convincingly sewed up the Republican nod with a 180 vote lead. If you combine both parties, the results are as follows: Capobianco - 878; Falcone - 729; Siegfried - 470; Buskirk - 381; and Hammer - 200.

The county's unofficial results, with 85% of the votes tabulated, correspond roughly with The Morning Call.

Will there be a recount? Contested general election? Gee, I hope so! Especially now that the real Yvonne Falcone has revealed herself. Stay tuned!

Norco's Three Mini-Judge Races: Follow the Money

After spending most of the last two days discussing the mudslinging in Easton's mini-judge contest, you might think that's the only race. Actually, Northampton County will be electing three new mini-judges this Fall in Nazareth, Bethlehem and Easton. In this post, I'll lay out the finances for each candidate so you can follow the money.

What is a mini-judge? I've talked about this before, but it's worth repeating. "District Justices have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $8000.00. In misdemeanor and felony cases, District Justices have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt." I have the record for most overtime parking tickets in Nazareth, so I know the office very well. Although the annual salary for this position is $74,566, most magistrates consider themselves part-time workers.

Easton. This seat consists of Williams Township, Glendon Borough and Easton's south side. Brian Monahan, a lawyer; Cindy Greene, a designer; and Dan Corpora, Easton councilman, are the contestants.

Monahan. - Between March 1 and April 30, Brian raised $14,500 and spent about $5,700. There are no small under $50 contributions, and his list of contributors is a who's who of local lawyers. I counted twenty-seven, from all over the area. These lawyers could be trying to buy influence. I believe it's a mistake for judicial candidates to accept money from attorneys who may appear before them. Others will argue this just indicates Monahan has the respect of his fellow attorneys. I report. You decide.

Corpora. - Between January 1 and April 30, Corpora raised only $550. With what he already had in his treasury, his warchest was barely $1,600. Most of his money comes from small contributions of $50 0r less. Corpora has not been certified for the position of district judge.

Greene. - On Monday, when I checked finance reports, Greens's reports had not yet been filed. She told me yesterday that has since filed her report late and that she had raised about $1,900, most of which is self-funded. Like Corpora, she is uncertified. Of the three candidates, she is the only one unable to follow finance campaign laws, but she is also a relative newcomer.

Bethlehem. Like Easton, this race over the Marvine-Pembroke area of Bethlehem is a three-way dogfight. Patricia Romig-Passaro, daughter of retired District Judge Liz Romig, faces social services worker Juan Cruz and Attorney Gil Negrete.

Romig-Passaro. - Between January 29 and April 27, Romig-Passaro raised $8,055, and spent $7,482. Nearly $5,500 of her money comes from small contributions of $50 or less. Three Bethlehem lawyers have contributed to her campaign. Romig is certified for the district judge position.

Juan "Johnny" Cruz. - Between January 28 and April 30, Cruz raised $3,030 and spent $2,503.72. Over one-third of his money comes from small contributions of $50 or less. He did inadvertently accept a corporate contribution, a violation of campaign finance laws. This money has been returned. I'm unaware whether Cruz is certified, and will update this post if anyone can tell me.

Gil Negrete. - Gil raised $3,500 and kicked in another $7,500 out of his own pocket. Like Monahan, he relies heavily on contributions from lawyers who are likely to appear before him. You can decide for yourself whether these attorneys are trying to buy influence or are trying to improve the judicial system.

Nazareth. Five mini-judge wannabes are eyeing Nazareth's magisterial district, which includes Nazareth, Bath and Stockertown boroughs, as well as Upper Nazareth and East Allen Townships. The contestants? Bangor lawyer Yvonne Falcone, Colonial Region police detective Gary Hammer, Norco prison boss Todd Buskirk, Upper Nazareth top cop Alan Siegfried and deputy sheriff John Capobianco.

Falcone. - Between January 1 and April 30, Falcone raised just $1,200 but spent $8,665.39. She's in the hole. Surprisingly, there were only a few contributions from attorneys. Falcone had previously told me she did not want to accept money from attorneys who appear before her regularly, and she appears to have kept her word. She did purchase an address list of the local bar, but appears to be content without accepting lawyers' money.

Hammer. - In a simple and honest report, Gary tells us he raised no money and spent $1,085 out of his own pocket for signs and handouts. Unfortunately, Hammer is the only candidate uncertified for the position of district judge in the Nazareth race.

Buskirk. - Between February 13 and April 30, Todd raised $6,690 and spent $4,568. Nazareth landlord Ray Orwig and his family have kicked in $480, but Buskirk previously told me Orwig's landlord cases won't be heard in his court. Twelve local attorneys contributed to his campaign, but they appear to be mostly attorneys who worked with Buskirk at the county.

Capobianco. - Between January 24 and April 30, Cap raised $10,631.05, and spent $9,484. Half of this money comes from his own pocket. His sister also gave him $1,000. He also raised $1,125 in small contributions of $50 or less.

Siegfried. - Chief Siegfried told me his integrity is very important to him. I now believe him. The $5,472 reported in his campaign treasury came right out of his own pocket.

Update:Juan "Johnny" Cruz, a Bethlehem magisterial candidate, has been certified once. He needs to be recertified.

Northampton County's Mini-Judge Races

After spending most of the last two weeks discussing the mudslinging in the Northampton County Council races, you might think that's the only show in town. But we will decide many other races on Tuesday, including new mini-judges in Nazareth and Easton. In this post, I'll describe both races.

What is a mini-judge? I've talked about this before, but it's worth repeating. "District Justices have jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, traffic offenses, landlord/tenant matters and other civil actions where the amount claimed does not exceed $8000.00. In misdemeanor and felony cases, District Justices have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants, hold preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings and set bail. They also have authority to perform marriages, handle protection from abuse matters and issue subpoenas. They also may impose summary punishments for criminal contempt." I have the record for most overtime parking tickets in Nazareth, so I know the office very well. Although the annual salary for this position is $74,566, most magistrates consider themselves part-time workers.

Nazareth Magisterial race: John Capobianco is a vote for common sense

Back in the primary. Falcone made the mistake of posting a comment on my blog that, among other things, attacks me. Can't fault her for that. If anything, that's probably in her favor. I am a miserable bastard. But she also said this about herself. "I graduated from Moravian College ranked 10/365 with a 3.88 GPA. ... I cannot denounce a good scholastic record. I was also ranked 5/118 at Pen Argyl High School. Academically and in legal qualifications/experience, I far surpass my opponents." Seriously, who the hell remembers how they were ranked in high school? That should set off a few bells and sirens.

Now she's telling folks she's a "current arbitration panelist issuing actual judgments in civil cases." In other words, she's already basically a judge.

In truth, every lawyer sits on three-lawyer arbitration panels from time to time. I did it, too. And contrary to what Falcone claims, they have no power to issue judgments. Their awards are meaningless in the event of an appeal. You can execute on a judgment, but can't do diddly with an arbitrators' award. After getting those high grades and twelve years of "practical legal experience," you'd think Falcone would know that little tidbit.

In sharp contrast to Falcone, John Capobianco is a graduate of the School of Common Sense. Most lawyers seem to lack that trait, but it's essential to keep the peace in a smaller court. That's why Elmo Frey was such a good magistrate. That's also true of nonlawyer John Gombosi, who kept the south side of Bethlehem from exploding for many years.

John would like to relocate the magisterial office to Nazareth's new municipal center. That will result in a public, instead of private, landlord. Concerned about the proliferation of drugs and gangs, he'd visit classrooms on a regular basis to explain the problems caused by both. He'd be a visible presence in the community. Cap tells me he will seek no other job if elected as magistrate. He won't try to supplement his income.

Easton Magisterial Race: Flip a Coin

Easton's magisterial seat consists of Williams Township, Glendon Borough and Easton's south side. Residents there are very lucky to have two class acts running for mini-judge - Easton council member Dan Corpora and Attorney Brian Monahan. But they're unlucky because they can only elect one.

Corpora, an affable and soft-spoken Easton leader, detested the mudslinging directed by Tom Severson at Monahan during the primary and publicly condemned it. "That type of politics is what turns voters off from the whole process." When approached by Severson, Corpora refused to hire him.

Before the primary, Corpora lacked a certification, but earned that last month. Corpora promises to bring a "common-sense" approach to the job, and that is the layman's perspective. But Monahan, instead of hauling out diplomas and class standings, quietly speaks of protecting the legal rights of everyone in the community. As a matter of full disclosure, Monahan represented me when I sued the county over its megabond. He never charged me a nickel.

I don't feel I have a right to make an endorsement in this race, except to say that I'd be happy with either candidate.

Deputy Sheriff Running For Magistrate in Nazareth

Living as I do, along Nazareth's busy Main Street, I get hammered by parking tickets. Unlike responsible people, I almost always ignore them until a constable comes knocking. When I was younger, I'd jump out the window with a disguise, but Constable Smith always nailed me. These days, he just calls and tells me it's time.

Over the years, I got to Nazareth's magistrate, Elmo Frey, quite well. He would patiently listen to my entreaties, and always had this one word response - GUILTY. He's one of the best magistrates I've ever seen, a quiet guy with a great sense of humor and common sense. He was forced to retire last year, and his wisdom will be hard to duplicate.

Who will be his successor? That's the million dollar question. It's a crowded field. Candidates include Bangor lawyer Yvonne Falcone, Norco Corrections Director Todd Buskirk, teacher Mark Franczk and Upper Nazareth police chief Alan Siegfried. Last night, that field got a little more crowded. Northampton County Deputy Sheriff John Capobianco has entered the fray. He's the one who most reminds me of Elmo Frey, and that's why I'll be voting for him.

Unlike many other candidates, who view this as a part-time job that improves their financial portfolio, Capobianco will be a full-time magistrate. He won't be collecting a government pension while working as a magistrate, and told me he intends to be a proactive magistrate, one who reaches out to the community. As an exxample, he said he'd like to visit schools regularly to explain how the system works. His campaign gave me this announcement.

In December, 2005, Capobianco was certified by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and thereby meets the stringent standards and necessary qualifications required in Pennsylvania. Capobianco attended the required classes and passed the exam, which covered all areas of the law under the jurisdiction of a Magisterial District Judge.

Capobianco is a lifelong resident of Northampton County and has lived in Nazareth since 1995. He is a Lieutenant with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department where he is responsible for supervising Deputy Sheriffs in the Criminal Division. He has served with the Sheriff’s Deparment since 1991. Prior to that, he as a Detention Officer with the Northampton County Juvenile Detention Center.

Capobianco is the current CLEAN/NCIC Terminal Agency Coordinator for the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department. He also currently serves as the Pennsylvania Justice Network Terminal Agency Coordinator for all Northampton County criminal justice agencies and police departments. Until 2006, Capobianco also served as Team Leader for the Northampton County Sheriff’s Tactical Emergency Response Team.

John Capobianco holds a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Kutztown University. He graduated from Bangor Area High School.

"I am seeking the office of Magisterial District Judge to use my criminal justice and law enforcement experience to help make our community a safer place to live, and to continue a fair forum for justice for all the citizens of our district," Capobianco said.

Capobianco is married to Andrea Capobianco, former Nazareth Borough Tax Collector. They have three children.

The court's district covers Nazareth, Bath and Stockertown and the townships of Upper Nazareth and East Allen. The position of Magisterial District Judge, formerly held by Elmo Frey, is currently vacant.

Nazareth Voters Elect "Cap" District Judge

John (Cap) Capobianco won a resounding victory in Nazareth's magisterial contest yesterday against Yvonne Falcone. Her main platform appeared to be, "I'm an attorney, so I'm better than you." Since most people pretty much hate lawyers, she should probably sue her campaign consultant.

Buddy Christ: Election Day. Wow!

Feel free to post your own endorsements today. I'm going to be a little busy. I plan on voting in every precinct, I'm even pulling the lever a few times for Browning in Lehigh County. Hey, that's what we Dems do. But not to worry! Buddy Christ is in the house! He's promised a few of his infallible election picks.

Hey, mammas and pappas! Got Christ? Who's your Buddy? That's right, bippy, it's Me. I've got your back! I just transported O'Hare into Joe Long's living room. That should be a hoot! And since everyone is calling Angle a bulldog, he's going to find himself on all fours in the Bethlehem dog park around noon. An English mastiff named Lamont will be giving him bedroom eyes.

Now let's get to down to business.

Easton's mayor: Bertsch goes bust! Seriously, does that dude even know he's in Easton? He sounds more like he's running for King of West Side. Vote Panto. He can't convert seven loaves of bread into enough dough to solve Easton's financial problems, but not everyone can be Buddy Christ!

Easton's city council: Jeff Warren? Two words. Special interests. A bottle of my finest Holy Water goes to Roger Ruggles, Elinor Warner & Ken Brown.

Easton's mini-judge: I'm letting my main man, Peter, decide that one. He's on the throne right now and will get back to us.

Nazareth's mini-judge: Falcone must think she's running for student of the year, not judge. Vote for Cap before she gives us all a pop quiz!

Northampton County Controller: John Schimmel is a nice guy using the wrong consultant. Barron is a nicer guy using the right consultant. Vote Steve!

Northampton County Council, at large: Let's see. Tony Branco is part of the Axis of Weasel behind the smear campaign against Peg Ferraro, who reminds me a lot of my own mother. We all know how that will work out. Bye, Bye, Tony. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Northampton County Council, Nazareth District: Lamont, Lamont! Dude! Sunshine Act violations, lousy attendance record, special interest dough, mudslinging in the primary about your opponent's paraplegic brother. And now you send campaign mailers of all these dudes in uniform saluting each other when you haven't spent a second in military service? You're a pharisee, dude, and you know what happens to them. Vote Mark Schwartz.

Northampton County Council, Slate Belt District: John Maher, you sold your soul to Bossman Long in return for a lousy party endorsement. Now you've pissed off half the planet with nasty robo calls and slimy mailers. Not only will you lose, but when you go to purgatory, you're going to be forced to listen to 1,000 robo calls from Ron Angle every day. Now go. The Evil One, Ron Angle, awaits you.

Northampton County Council, Easton District: Sorry folks, but Dowd is an automatic in. He's a frickin' minister and We take care of our own. Don't worry, I'll send Bill Wallace a train set.

Northampton County Council, Bethlehem District: So Ann McHale thinks "nice guys finish last?" Not in my world, sister. Vote for Tom Dietrich. In purgatory, Ann is going to be dating a lot of nerds.

Bethlehem Controller: Does anyone understand either of these people? Since Meg Holland has the most initials behind her name, she gets my Holy Wink.

Lehigh County Judge (retention): Bob Steinberg got almost as many votes as Saddam Hussein. Need I say more?

Northampton County Judge: O'Hare has been complaining all year about Baratta. But Bernie's also been stealing my altar wine. Even without the booze, you all know he's nutz. Retain Baratta. Who knows? In another ten years, he may get it right!

Lehigh County Commissioner: Browning has the brains. Easterling has the heart. Now all I need is someone with courage.

Allentown City Council: Pete Schweyer, with his la de da pals, has ignored minority merchants on Hamilton Street. That's a No No. Remember that "least of my brethren" stuff I laid on you a few thousand years ago. I wasn't kidding. Anybody but Schweyer!

Supreme Court: Who doesn't like Seamus McCaffrey? I like Todd, too!

Appellate Court Retentions: Two of these bastards think they're Me - Saylor and Melvin. Toss them.

That's it, folks! Now if you don't go out and vote, you may find yourself in that dog park, too!

Easton and Norco Council Candidates' Night on Tuesday

On Tuesday, May 1st, 6:30 PM, the South Side Civic Association will sponsor a candidates' night at St. Paul's Lutheran Church (610 W. Berwick St. Easton).

Invitations have been extended to Easton mayoral hopefuls, city council wannabes, NorCo council prospects, and mini-judge candidates in Easton's south side magisterial district, which also includes Williams Township and Glendon Borough.

Mike Fleck, one of Easton's mayoral candidates, should love to hear some of the questions you've been asking here over the past few days. Does attorney Brian Monahan, a district judge candidate, share Yvonne Falcone's attitude about nonlawyers as magistrates?

If you're interested in learning about a local race, these candidates' nights are invaluable. I've attended a few sponsored by the south side civic association in previous years, and theirs are among the best.

Who's Running in NorCo Townships?

Friday, I reported on Northampton County's borough races. There will be few contested elections, especially beyond the primary. How about the townships? 

Allen Township: No contested races.

Bethlehem Township: Only one Commissioner race (Ward 2) is in dispute. Democrat Jan Beatty will square off in the general election against the winner of a primary race between Republicans Steven Greco and Franklin Cope. There is also a Constable race. Bethlehem Tp is allotted two. Democrats Richard Seeds and Anthony Ortwein will face Republicans Shawn E Fariello and John F. Gallagher. Believe it or not, there's a contested Judge of Elections race in Ward 1-3 between Democrat Leslie M Altieri, who's run for everything, and Diane Capobianco. There will even be a contested Judge of Elections primary in Ward 2-2 between Republicans Steven Greco and Mary Beth Finnerty. 

Bushkill Tp: The only contested race is a primary contest for Constable between Republicans Mark Alan Staats and Chad Reinert.  

East Allen Tp.: No contested races. 

Forks Tp.:Two Supervisor slots will be decided in a race between Democrats John O'Neil and Durrell Johnson and Republicans Mike Rosenburg and Ty J Corallo. There will also be a disputed Constable race between Republican Gordon Crowell, Jr., and Democrat Jonathan Hagenbuch. 

Hanover Tp: Incumbent Republican Mike Prendeville will face Democrat Jean Versteeg in the sole Supervisor seat up for grabs. The winner of this race will decide whether Democrats or Republicans control Hanover Tp. 

Lehigh Tp: Perhaps the most conservative corner of Northampton County, two Supervisor seats are up for election this year. But no Democrat is running. They will be awarded in the primary to the two highest vote getters among Republicans David Hess, Phillip Gogel, Gerald L Pritchard and Larry Shoemaker. 

A tax collector race between Democrat Mary Louise Trexler and Republican Thyler Hantz will be decided in November. 

Lower Mt Bethel Tp: No contested races.  

Lower Nazareth Tp.: No contested races. 

Lower Saucon Tp:  Three Council seats (two four-year term and one two-year term) will be decided by the voters this year. Both are contested, but the two-year seat will be decided in the primary. 

Democrats after the four-year seat George J Gress, Victoria Opthaf-Cardaro and Maurice Kasmiroski. The three Republicans who filed are Donna Louder and incumbents Jason Banonis and Tom Carocci.

Only two Republicans - Donna Louder and Jennifer Zavacky - have filed for the two-year seat.

Moore Tp: One Supervisor seat and the  Constable position is disputed, but the Constable race will be over in the primary. The Supervisor seat is being sought by Democrat Jeffrey Ayers and Republicans Michael A Tirrell, Jr. and Richard K Gable (inc.). Republicans Jeffrey Kocher, Matthew Flower and Ronnie DelBacco want to be Constable. 

Palmer Tp.: The Supervisor seats held by Republicans Dave Colver and Robert Smitty Smith expire this year. A third Republican - Phil Taverna - has filed in the hope he can eliminate one of them. Three Democrats - Michael Brett, Joseph V Armato and Zane Rice - have also filed. Thre will be a contested general election.  

There will also be a contested Judge of Election race in Western District #2 between Democrat Gregory Hess and Republican Doris Lynch. 

Plainfield Tp.: The Supervisor seats held by Democrat Joyce Lambert and Republican Glenn A Borger expire this year. Lambert, joined by fellow Democrat Donald Moore, will likely square off in the general election against Borger and fellow Republican Robert E Cornman, Jr. In the Kesslersville ward, there will be a GOP primary contest for Judge of Elections between Susan Kleinle and Jennine Buzzard. 

Upper Mount Bethel Tp.: The Supervisor seats held by Republicans John Bermingham and Anthony DeFranco expire this year. They are seeking re-election, but Democrats David Friedman and Stavros Barbounis have mounted a challenge. 

Upper Nazareth Tp. Republican Supervisor Donna M Hirst has filed for re-election. She faces a challenge by Democrat Brian Sayago. There are also contested races for Auditor (Democrat William Bartlett and Republican Tracy L Herman) and Tax Collector (Republican Tracy A Adamski (inc.) and Democrat Jean Morgano). 

Washington Tp.: Incumbent Republican Supervisor David Hess has filed for re-election, but seeks a primary challenge from R Justin Huratiak. The winner of that contest will face Democrat Ralph Falcone in November. 

Williams Tp.: No contested races. 

Buddy Christ's Election Day Checklist

Feel free to post your own endorsements today. I'm going to be a little busy. I plan on voting in every precinct. I'm a Democrat and that's what we do. Buddy Christ has stepped to the plate, and will give his infallible election picks.

Hi boys and girls! Got Christ? Who's your Buddy? Who's the slick with the pick? That's right, bippy, it's Me. O'Hare doesn't know it yet, but I just locked him in the can. I'll let him out at 8:01 PM. Who says I don't have a sense of humor? And now let me give you my election day picks. This will boil your holy water.

Act 1 Referendum: Vote NO. Anything that needs the Holy Slide Rule is Trouble!

Easton's mayor: Fleck's a wreck! When he started plastering signs on My church steeples, he lost Me. Vote Panto. He can't walk on water like Me, but he'll restore some sanity in Easton.

Easton's city council: Anyone but Jeff Warren! Liked him, but that all changed when he filed his finance report. Two words. Special interests.

Easton's magisterial contest: Brian Monahan. He took a lickin' and kept on tickin'.

Bethlehem's city council: They're too damned boring! Are they still alive? I'd spice them up with Dana Grubb. He'd keep an eye on Callahan. Grubb's also offering a free wrestling clinic for elected officials in June. But the three incumbents will win. Yawn.

Bethlehem's school board: It's time for some changes, and sister Judy Dexter tells us why. I hope she's attending Grubb's wrestling clinic.

Bethlehem's magisterial race: Pat Romig-Passaro deserves a shot, but has got to stop writing her name like that. Seriously.

Nazareth's mini-judge: Anyone but Falcone! If this election season lasted just a few more days, she'd break out her 5th grade geography quizzes to show us she "far surpasses" her lowly opponents. Forget mini-judge, she should be running for pope!

Northampton County Council, Nazareth District: Lamont, Lamont! Dude! What's with those repeated Sunshine Act violations, attempted invasion of the budgetary reserve, worse attendance record on council, special interest campaign contributions and all that mudslinging about Will Power's deceased paraplegic brother. You need a time out. Vote for Will Power.

Northampton County Council, Slate Belt District: John Maher, you sold your soul to Bossman Long in return for a lousy party endorsement. Now you're doing goofy things like planting signs in Nazareth, outside your district. You'll stumble through the primary, and fall in the Fall. The Evil One, Ron Angle, is waiting for you.

K-9 Cop Seeks Slate Belt Judgeship

Cody Hendershot, a Colonial Regional Police Officer and K-9 handler is running fir what he calls "the People's Court." He's seeking the slate belt judgeship currently being served by Magisterial District Judge Alicia Zito. This includes Bangor, East Bangor and Pen Argyl, where everyone is related to everyone, except for the Bastard, Mark Thatcher. It includes Portland, the Cancun of the Lehigh Valley, where Bob Cartwright is currently writing his memoirs and is on page 2. There's the Mount Bethels, where Ron Angle recently declared himself emperor and is trying to patent a sludge-propelled car. There's also Washington Township, home of the Good Mark, who is preparing for Spring. Finally, there's Roseto, where everyone lives past 150. Some say it's the Mediterranean diet, but I personally think they're all vampires.

The magisterial district judge is the person on the front lines of justice For years, it was Griggy. he was normal when he started.Then his hair turned orange and he dropped about a foot in height, probably because the vampires have been picking away over the years. It's certainly the most colorful district in the Lehigh Valley, if not the state.

Anyone seeking this position should be involuntarily committed.

Henershot's partner Eyra is a Belgian Malinois and thinks this position is beneath him.

"Ruh, roh," he said when he learned that his human partner was running for judge, except he said it in a French accent.

He thinks he'll be a tipstaff.

Hendershot, a Republican, plans to cross-file on both the Republican and Democratic ballots.

“District Courts are truly the ‘People’s Court’ of Pennsylvania – a place citizens can go to have their grievances heard without need for costly attorneys and with common sense provided in an equal dose with the law,” Hendershot said. “As District Judge, I will bring that common sense – along with an understanding of the law and of our community’s concerns developed from a professional career in law enforcement – to the bench to provide honest and fair justice.”

Hendershot holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Moravian College and has spent his professional life in law enforcement, first as a Lehigh County Correctional Officer and for nearly a decade as a Police Officer with the Colonial Regional Police Department. Today, he is a member of the Northampton County Drug Task Force as well as a K-9 Handler, a role in which he interacts with police departments from across the Lehigh Valley. Hendershot has deep experience in our courts, having testified in Magisterial District Court and in the Court of Common Pleas as a Police Officer.

Magisterial District Judges in Pennsylvania are not required to be attorneys; instead, they must successfully complete a rigorous training and education program administered by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and then be certified by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

"Too often, candidates for this office will try to convince voters that a law degree is a necessity when actually it is the opposite of what was intended for these courts," said Hendershot. "What's a necessity is a deep connection to the community, common sense, and a proven ability to hear all sides of a disagreement with a sense of fairness. None of those things are guaranteed with a law degree."

Hebdershot's two opponents, Alicia Zito and Jason LaBar, are prominent attorneys.

Hendershot pledges to serve full-time as District Judge if elected, and has put forth the following platform outlining his priorities if elected:

> Bring common sense and fairness to the bench
> Keep communities safe by holding criminals accountable and following the law
> Help teach kids right from wrong
> Make District Court a partner in the fight against the opioid epidemic
> Spend time in our schools and communities to build strong relationships
> Uphold the Constitution and our rights

“As District Judge, I will work with law enforcement and community leaders to help keep our neighborhoods safe and prevent crime, especially when it comes to addressing the rising opioid epidemic,” said Hendershot. “As a lifelong resident, volunteer in our community and taxpayer, I understand what our families want in their District Judge, and will focus on those priorities while running a court that is fair, effective and efficient to save tax dollars.”

Like his two opponents, Hendershot is a lifelong resident of Northampton County. He graduated from Bangor High School and then worked his way through Moravian College. His parents, Bruce and Phillina (nee Falcone), have lived and worked in the local community for decades, and his family has opened their hearts and homes to foster children in Northampton County for over 30 years. Cody and his wife Jennifer live in Lower Mount Bethel where they are raising their two sons, Joshua and Daniel.

"My goal as District Judge is to do more than keep our neighborhoods safe and resolve disputes justly, with integrity and accountability, it is to come down from the bench and make our community a stronger, better place for all of us," said Hendershot. " I believe that to provide the best judgments for citizens requires really knowing the people you are serving, and being active in the community is how that happens."