Blogger's Note: Another outstanding judicial candidate has sent an announcement prepared by his campaign,, which you can read below.Tom Caffrey, the Lehigh County Solicitor, is seeking to fill one of the three judicial vacancies in
Lehigh County.
Caffrey, 59, was born and raised in Allentown’s working-class First Ward. After graduating
from Allentown Central Catholic High School, the Pennsylvania State University, and the
Dickinson School of Law, Caffrey started his legal career as an assistant solicitor in the Lehigh
County Department of Law.
In 1991, Caffrey was appointed to serve as the full-time Lehigh County Juvenile Master. He
conducted delinquency hearings related to criminal conduct by juveniles and dependency
hearings related to issues of parental neglect and child abuse, and earned a reputation for being
tough but fair. Caffrey not only gained valuable judicial experience, but also significant insight
into the underlying issues—poverty, parental neglect, drug abuse, and mental illness—that often
lead to ongoing involvement in the criminal justice system.
In 1998, Caffrey was appointed to serve as a prosecutor in the Lehigh County District Attorney’s
Office. He prosecuted defendants charged with felony criminal offenses such as burglary,
aggravated assault, and robbery, and tried many of these cases to verdict.
From 2001 through 2004, Caffrey headed the Children and Youth Services Legal Unit. Caffrey
returned to the Department of Law in 2004, and litigated the County’s most significant federal
civil rights cases, often representing the County’s corrections officers and law enforcement
personnel.
In May 2020, Caffrey was elevated to serve as the Lehigh County Solicitor. He now heads the
Department of Law, which consists of ten attorneys, two paralegals, and the Right-to-Know
Officer, and advises County officials on the wide array of legal matters impacting County
government and its residents.
Caffrey has also proudly worked in several capacities for the City of Allentown. He is currently
the solicitor to the Police and Fire Civil Service Board, and in the past served as special solicitor
to the Police Pension Board in disability pension matters and special solicitor to City Council in
police officer termination cases. He also represented the City’s police officers in federal civil
rights litigation.
In his private practice, Caffrey has handled a wide variety of legal matters while working for
local law firms and operating his own law practice, including family law, employment, criminal
defense, land use and zoning, real estate, and wills and estates, and has significant civil litigation
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experience. He currently serves as the solicitor to the zoning hearing boards in Moore, Lehigh
and Plainfield Townships and Hellertown Borough.
When asked why he is seeking a seat on the Lehigh County bench, Caffrey said, “I have
dedicated my career to serving the people of Lehigh County, and I believe that I am well
qualified to serve as a common pleas judge. I have valuable experience as a judicial official and
more than 34 years of experience in both civil and criminal law. I have the academic ability and
experience to handle complex legal matters, but also the common sense required to understand
and deal with the wide variety of issues and problems that come before a common pleas judge on
a daily basis. I will work hard, maintain an open mind, and treat all those who come before me
fairly and with respect.”
Caffrey has worked as an adjunct professor of sociology/criminal justice for Moravian College
and served as a guest lecturer on federal civil rights and juvenile justice issues.
Caffrey is married to Bobbi Jo Caffrey, who works as an optician for Dr. Binae Karpo. They
live in Whitehall and are members of the Immaculate Conception Church in Allentown. Caffrey
has three adult daughters, Kate, Kristen, and Lauren Angela, and an adult step-son, Scott.
Caffrey has served as a volunteer at the Lehigh Valley Hospital and is a member of the Whitehall
Area Rotary Club.
Caffrey, a Republican, will cross file to appear on both parties’ ballots.