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Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Is Judge Zito Stepping Down?

Judge Zito (in shorts) at Stockertown Rod and Gun Club 
According to sources at the courthouse, Senior Judge Leonard Zito is stepping down from the bench, effective June 1, to return to private practice. I have been unable to confirm this from the court because I only received this information last night. 

Judge Zito is a Navy veteran and a graduate of both the University of Scranton and Villanova Law School. As a lawyer in Bangor, he developed a reputation as a tough and well-prepared litigator. In addition to his time on the bench, he has served as NorCo's Chief Public Defender and as County Council's Solicitor.

When John Morganelli ascends to the judicial heavens, Judge Zito will no longer be able to work as a senior judge in Northampton County. His resignation now might pave the way to a Morganelli appointment right after the primary.

Judge Zito has left an indelible mark on Northampton County and is perhaps the hardest working judge in its history.
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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 8:54 AM

    Your assessment of Judge Zito is 100% accurate. He is very hard working and many a judge would have to take a back seat to his work ethic.
    But I have one question. Why do we need all these judges in Northampton County. They are overpaid for the amount of hours they work. At least senior judges are paid for the time they put into the job. We appreciate our senior judges. The regular judges dump their work onto the senior judges so they don't have to show up at the courthouse and do their job. The legislators force regular judges into retirement too soon. They can sit as a senior judge well into their seventies, but they can't sit as an elected judge once they turn seventy. Why? Don't they make the same decisions affecting those coming before them?

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  2. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 8:56 AM

    The plan is to appoint Morganelli, Houck will fill in as DA (First Deputy DA) and get the notoriety for the election. Sorry Nuria, sorry Tom, The fix is in!!

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  3. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 9:26 AM

    Why not take the extra day to confirm the rumor? Isn't the truth more valuable than having your blog post scooped?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 11:03 AM

    He is an honorable man and a true respectful gentleman. He will make a great District Attorney!

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  5. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 11:36 AM

    Love Judge Zito and he never fixed an All Star vote ,

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  6. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 12:36 PM

    I have appeared before a great number of judges in my 45-year criminal law legal career. I cannot recall a better, more dedicated jurist than Len Zito. Few people realize that, on more than a few occasions, Senior Judge Zito worked tirelessly without pay simply because the task at hand needed to be completed and he had already gone beyond the state's max for that time period. Further, out of his own pocket, he supplemented the state-provided compensation for his loyal staff as a senior judge just to make sure they were compensated for the extraordinary hours he demanded of himself. We will miss him on the bench.

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  7. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 4:06 PM

    Excuse me but where is the statement form Big Jim Gregory? It would be interesting to hear his opinion in this matter. He stated he was abused by this justice system. He recently posted a picture with the woman the court claimed he abused. Big Jim has a real insiders opinion to give.

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  8. B@gdh@d BillyApril 2, 2019 at 5:34 PM

    Bob Ryan your son couldnt carry Joe Murray's jockstrap, time to check into Passages Malibu and find jesus before your liver shuts down!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousApril 2, 2019 at 6:07 PM

    Judge Zito managed the criminal system with compassion,grace and a professional determination to move the system forward. His personality, attention to detail and his unwillingness to continue a case for years, reduced the prison population, brought rapid justice for victims, and reduced the criminal backlog the DA possessed.
    His efforts were recognized state wide!
    It will be interesting to see what jurist is assigned to fill his shoes. Mark his retirement and compare the statistics!
    Good luck Judge Zito! You will be a hard act to follow!

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  10. Pistol Packing CougarApril 2, 2019 at 6:51 PM

    cheesy cheeto must be vetoed, f@r from hero tot@l zero!

    ReplyDelete

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