Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by the voter registration office to get a head start on inspecting the nomination petitions due today. While looking at papers filed by county executive candidate Ann McHale and county council candidate Deb Hunter, I noticed that both used judicial candidates to circulate their petitions. That's no problem for McHale or Hunter, but it sure is a No No for judicial candidates Barb Hollenbach and Jim Narlesky. By actively soliciting signatures to nomination petitions, they violated the Codeof Judicial Conduct, which applies to both candidates and sitting judges. Barb Hollenbach signed and circulated McHale's petition, soliciting John Hancocks for a person who will most certainly have matters that come before Barb if both are elected. Jim Narlesky, already a sitting magistrate, did the same thing with Hunter. This violates Canon 7, which prohibits any political activity inappropriate to a judicial office. Narlesky and Hollenbach are actively promoting candidates whose cases will come before them if elected. That's highly inappropriate.
Way back in 2000, the majority opinion of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges was that a judge or judicial candidate should refrain from even signing a nomination petition, to say nothing of circulating one. That's why Judge Zito, on the evening he announced his candidacy, refused to sign the nomination petition of a borough council candidate. Even the Dissenting Opinion, which thinks a mere signature is OK, condemns any judicial candidate who circulates a nominating petition. "[A] judge may not solicit others to sign a nomination petition and may not circulate a nomination petition."
Hollenbach and Narlesky have already compromised their judicial integrity by immersing themselves in the muddy world of county politics.
22 comments:
This post has been up less than thirty minutes and I've already deleted two comments. One is an anonymous personal attack directed at me and the other is both OT and an anonymous personal attack directed at Stoffa.
The Joe Long Democrats are obviously quite upset by this post, which will just encourage me to continue. Thanks for inspiring me, and please tell your friends.
Now where did I put my Tie! :-)
Jack Panella is a Joe Long Democrat. Also, Lenny Zito circulated his Petition in the courthouse. I hear he used in the County Interoffice mail system to do it.
Bernie
How does this affect the judicial candidates?...why should we be concerned..pros and cons
The main reason we should be concerned is bc involvement in partisan political activity affects their ability to be impartial. If elected, McHale would be the county executive. If elected, Deb Hunter would be a member of county council. Two judicial candidates have already demonstrated, by soliciting signiatures for county candidates, that they favor these people. Now if McHale is elected and a matter comes before Hollenbach, can Hollenbach be fair? If McHale loses and a Stoffa matter comes before Hollenbach. hasn't she already shown her animosity?
Hollenbach and Narlesky have injected themselves into counmty politics. At best, that reflects poor judgmnet.
Also, if I could be aware of this proscription, why weren't they?
Hollenbach could argue she technically is not a candidate until she files her nomination petition. But it seems to me that she has already compromised her judgment. Narlesky is already a sitting magistrate and is without question bound by the Code of Judicial Conduct. He has no excuse.
The simple truth is that two candidates appear to have allowed their judgment to be impaired by the Joe Long Democrats.
Bernie - you MUST post something about Sam Bennett's new position.... this is nutts... why would she be made president of an organization to help women get elected!
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1_5bennett.6811386mar10,0,7351540.story
Judge not lest thee be judged!
Oh Look, sam Beeneet has been appointed to run a Woman's Forum!
That's almost as funny as Bernie O'hare being appointed as head of NAMBLA!
"At best, that reflects poor judgmnet. "
and very questionable legal acuity
Bernie found the smoking gun(s). I think Hollenbach is a candidate the minute she starts to circulate her nominating petition and subject to Canon 7.
These candidates either disregarded this rule out of ignorance of the law or they knew about it and intentionally did not follow it.
In either case, it shows that they should not be judges. Withdraw and save the embarrassment when the J board gets a hold of this.
Do you have proof that Zito circulated a petition? If not, don't accuse a sitting judge of doing such things. From what Bernie said, the proof of the other two is in black and white at voter registration.
Bernie,
Ask Joe Long who else he illegally circulated a petition for in Bethlehem. (Hint: A magistrate candidiate who works for Boscola)
"Joe Long Democrats?"
Did you forget to take your Oxycontin again? Holy Mother of God, how paranoid are you?
You really think that the Northampton County Democratic Party has a committee whose sole purpose is countering the threat to Democracy that you supposedly are?
And you are putting "cuckoo" after comments?
At least you realize it!
And I thought Sam Bennett lived in a surreal world!
Maybe your just jealous that her world has bodyguards!
What does a Joe Long Democrat wear? Do they have a secret handshake? Maybe they have hidden cameras on their glasses, and their hearing aids are actually high tech listening devices to monitor your cell phone conversations!
I love Boonie the Bum sitting in Judgment on two very decent people merely because he is supporting other candidates. Boonie the Bum. Who once forged his client's name to an agreement without his consent. Boonie the Bum who once caused a widow and her three small children to miss out on compensation they desperately needed because he lied to his superiors in the Justice Department and to the lawyer who represented the family. Ask Wilkes-Barre attorney Joe Quinn. Boonie the Bum.
"Ask Joe Long who else he illegally circulated a petition for in Bethlehem. (Hint: A magistrate candidiate who works for Boscola)"
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Who is acting illegally?
"What does a Joe Long Democrat wear? Do they have a secret handshake? Maybe they have hidden cameras on their glasses, and their hearing aids are actually high tech listening devices to monitor your cell phone conversations!"
Why don't you look in a mirror? I've been told by two people who Long thinks is in his camp that I've been targeted. Dertinger, McClure and Long have goons post personal attacks on nearly every post I write. This is in addition to the usual crap from the other trolls. It's an attempt to shout me down. But what happens is that you just make yourselves look like exactly what I call you - political hacks and goons. And I just redouble my efforts and will eventually out some of these goons, probably a few weeks before the election when it will do the most damage to the Joe Long Democrats.
"I love Boonie the Bum sitting in Judgment on two very decent people merely because he is supporting other candidates. Boonie the Bum."
See what I mean? The Joe Long Dems are hard at work, attemptinmg to kill the messenger with the same attacks, repeated over and over.
Incidentally, Narlesky & Hollenbach are two very decent people. But they should not circulate nomination petitions. If a bisbarred lawyer like me knows that, then what does that say about them?
Bernie,
Ask Joe Long who else he illegally circulated a petition for in Bethlehem. (Hint: A magistrate candidiate who works for Boscola)
5:40 PM
What did Joe Long do here? We should know what this is about? If it's not true, what happens?
I don't understand what is being alleged. Joe Long has a right to circulate nomination petition. If the allegation is that someone did this illegally, the question is who? Zito? Narlesky? I don'tt know.
Needless to say, I'll be looking at the records. But it would be more helpful if the comment, which is anonymous anyway, was a bit more clear.
Point taken, however, circulating a nomination petition on behalf of a candidate for county/state office is allowing someone to stand for election. I'm not an advocate for moral relativism by any means. In my view, a judge or judicial candidate stumping (publicly or privately) for a candidate is over the line. Circulating a petition is, at best/worst, on the line.
If (insert name here) can't follow the Judicial Code of Conduct, then they should not run for Judge on the Court of Common Pleas.
Simple. The End.
Stoffa violated County Law, why not attack him. That won't happen. Hypocrite!!
The Joe Long Democrats just don't get it.
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