April
23, 2015
Salvatore
Tornabene
[redacted]
Easton,
PA 18045
Attorney William Blake
[redacted]
Bethlehem Pa
18020
Dear Attorney Blake,
It
is my understanding you are an official ballot candidate for the vacancy of
Magisterial District Judge at District Court 03-2-03 in Bethlehem
Township. As a concerned citizen and
resident of Bethlehem Township, I am writing on behalf of myself and a number
of other Bethlehem Township resident voters to inquire whether you have
obtained a Formal Opinion from the Judicial Ethics Committee of the
Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges in regard to your eligibility to
actually serve as the District Judge in Bethlehem Township if you were to be
elected.
My
concern is I am aware that your brother, Sgt. Rick Blake is a high ranking
supervising officer in the Bethlehem Township Police Department, and your wife,
Assistant District Attorney Kristine Blake is a practicing prosecutor in
Northampton County and both of these relationships present a conflict of
interest. Has the Judicial Ethics
Committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges rendered an
opinion informing you that you can preside over any and all Bethlehem Township
Police Department criminal cases? It is
my understanding that District Court 03-2-03 will only be covering Bethlehem
Township Police Department matters starting January 1, 2016. If the relationship with your brother being a
sergeant supervising officer conflicts with your ability to oversee and make
judicial decisions in a non-bias manner how will you even be able to preside
over any criminal matters that would come before you if elected as District
Judge? Additionally, your wife is a member of the Northampton County District
Attorney’s Office and is responsible for prosecuting cases that will come
before you if elected as District Judge, how is this not another conflict
regarding your ability to preside as District Judge? Is there a formal opinion
from the Judicial Ethics Committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State
Trial Judges in regard to these conflicts of interest?
If
you have not officially requested a Formal Opinion in regards to your
eligibility to actually serve as the District Judge in Bethlehem Township, I
ask you do so immediately. These conflicts pose a great concern to me and other
voters of Bethlehem Township and the residents of the community where we live. As
a judicial candidate, I believe you have an obligation to get a formal opinion.
The voters should be asked to consider only those candidates who are free of
any conflicts of interest or appearance of conflicts of interest in the primary
and general election, to preserve the sanctity of the criminal justice
system.
Sincerely,
Salvatore
Tornabene,
Concerned
Bethlehem Twp. Citizen
Cc: Morning Call, Express Times,
