'Well-rounded understanding': Q&A with public defender Emily Mosco Merski in judge's race
Emily Mosco Merski is a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County who has handled a range of other matters, including in civil and family court.
Merski said her "diverse legal background" is among her qualifications to be the next judge on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.
Merski is running in the May 20 municipal primary against Jeremy Lightner, a chief district attorney for Erie County; and Leigh Ann Orton, the first assistant solicitor for Erie County.
Party registration: Democrat. Merski is cross-filed as a Democrat and a Republican.
Age: 42
Residence: City of Erie
Experience: Solo practice at Vendetti & Vendetti law firm in Erie for past 13 years. Part-time assistant public defender for Erie County, specializing in appeals, since 2012. Started career as an associate at Knox Law Firm in Erie.
Education: Mercyhurst College; law degree from Penn State Dickinson Law. Admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 2011.
Personal: Married to state Rep. Bob Merski, a Democrat who represents the 2nd District in the Pennsylvania House; two children
Social media: https://www.emilymerskiforjudge.com.
Erie County Bar Association poll: Recommended
Question: Why do you want to be a judge on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas?
Answer: I believe my diverse legal background, commitment to justice and dedication to serving the community uniquely position me to be an effective addition to the bench.
Throughout my career, I have gained extensive experience across many areas of law, including criminal defense, civil litigation, family law and juvenile matters. This broad perspective has given me a well-rounded understanding of the legal system and its profound impact on individuals and families.
As a public defender, I have advocated for people who are often marginalized and voiceless, and I have witnessed firsthand how deeply the justice system affects lives and futures. I believe one of the most important roles a judge plays that of the "what-happens-next" person in someone's life.
When I chose to become a lawyer, especially an indigent defense attorney, it was with the hope of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. As a judge, the opportunity to guide individuals through the next steps —whether in criminal, juvenile, civil or family law matters — is an incredible responsibility.
Describe the case that has had the most impact on you as a lawyer.
As a new public defender, I was assigned to handle an appeal in a high-profile case. I was already familiar with the matter from news reports and, like many, had formed preconceived notions about the client and their actions. However, as I worked through the case, I quickly realized that my personal feelings about my client and their conduct could not influence my advocacy.
This experience taught me a fundamental lesson: Not everyone views the world through the same lens. People's actions are shaped by a multitude of factors, including their experiences and perspectives. Whether their actions were right or wrong, I came away from that case with a deeper understanding of the importance of meeting people where they are, listening without judgment and striving to understand the challenges that brought them into the courtroom.
With that newfound perspective, I was able to advocate more effectively for my clients and appreciate the human aspects of their cases. As Erie County's next judge, I bring the recognition and understanding that those who appear before the court are not merely case numbers, but individuals whose lives — and futures — can be profoundly impacted by the court's decisions.
Describe any changes or innovations that you would like to bring to Common Pleas Court.
The eight Common Pleas judges currently serving in Erie County strive to make a significant and meaningful impact on our community. Having been in the courtroom nearly every day of my practice, I have seen, firsthand, the impact the legal system has on individuals and families.
If given the opportunity, I would seek to complement their efforts with a strong commitment to improving public understanding of court operations and enhancing the accessibility and transparency of court proceedings.I believe that a fair and effective judiciary requires not only legal expertise but also a connection to the community it serves. Judges must be approachable and engaged, ensuring that the people who come before the court feel seen, heard and understood.
Ongoing community involvement not only promotes transparency but also provides valuable insight into the real world challenges facing individuals and families in Erie County. I am actively involved with organizations that broaden my perspective on the needs of our community. I currently serve on the boards of Erie Homes for Children and Adults and the Mercy Center for Women, among others.
It is this unique combination of professional experience and community engagement that I would bring to the bench.
Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County judge race: Emily Mosco Merski cites community service
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This needs to be a state where working families and working people can grow and can raise their kids and can put food on the table. When you have an electricity bill that, in some cases, has doubled over the course of one or two years, that's making it hard for people to do that.' 'There's a lot of things a governor can do day one to address those things. When I come in, day one, we'd be focused on the utility bills. Day one, we'd be focused on taxes. Day one, we'd be focused on going through every single item of state government in finding opportunities to run more efficiently, every line item, every contract, every department. I've done it before. I know how to do it, and I can tell you that in a $65 billion budget, there's a lot of opportunity to run more efficiently.' 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It's got to be all of the above, but we've got to start with nuclear, with the pipelines, and you've got to start with removing all of those program charges from people's utility bills and put it back to the Legislature. If they want to fund it, they can fund it, but it's not appropriate to drive it through bills.' Q: Do you support any offshore wind infrastructure? A: 'It's interesting, Governor Healey's focus on the most expensive way to generate electricity. There's a lot of alternatives out there, renewable and otherwise, and we should start with the ones that are most cost-effective. Offshore wind by a factor of three is the most expensive of the ways to create renewables. So I would look at it, and I would say, what are the most cost-efficient ways to achieve our goals? And let's start there.' Q: You support a full repeal of the MBTA Communities Act, one way the state is attempting to build more affordable housing. What is your housing plan? A: 'The MBTA Communities Act is an example of administrative overreach. It's an unfunded mandate — I agree with the auditor on that — and it's a one-size-fits-all approach. Under the powers granted to the state in that act, the state is withdrawing funds from Marshfield for dredging." 'They're taking money from local fire departments for fire suppression equipment. That's inappropriate. The way to build housing in this state looks much more like the housing compact program, which still exists and was a major initiative a decade ago.' 'Here's where I would start: there's 100,000 acres of land that the state owns in metro Boston. The municipalities own another 200,000 acres. In greater Boston, somewhere between 17% and 35% of that land sits vacant.' 'You could build 85,000 units if the state just developed 5% of that vacant land. What the governor should be doing is looking at thousands of acres of vacant land and thinking about how to develop, because there you can move quickly, often in areas where you're not going to get community opposition. I know how to build housing. When we were at the MBTA, we built thousands of units of housing up and down the Red Line.' Q: You worked on the fiscal side of the T under Governor Baker. You've said the Healey administration is at fault for the T's existing issues — both fiscal and operational. But data from 2024 shows that there have been measurable improvements in the T's service over Healey's tenure. Those are two different stories. A: 'When Governor Baker asked me to take two years away from the business world to step in and play a leadership role, I agreed to do it. I was charged with [serving on] the Fiscal and Management Control Board to do three things: Get operating expenses under control, get the Green Line Extension back on track, [and] develop and deliver a balanced budget.' 'We did those things. We took out waste and abuse, we streamlined parts of the organization, we rebid contracts, and when we were done, we had the lowest operating expenses in the history of the T. That shows you what's possible in terms of reforming government, when you bring a businessman sort of mindset, an outsider perspective, and a Marines determination to the job. 'What I would tell you is that Governor Healey has never delivered a balanced budget for the T. Today, the T takes a billion dollars more to run than it did six years ago, and the T's costs in almost every area have grown rapidly. What I've seen in the fast past few years is unrestrained cost growth.' 'I think that if the T does not get its cost growth under control, the T will not be fiscally sustainable for the long term. There's a pretty good debate going on at the State House as to whether the T deserves an incremental $500 million. What I would counsel leaders to do is get focused on cost control and get focused on making sure the T is run in a way that's fiscally sustainable.' Q: The feds found that there weren't enough T workers around the time it was running fiscally soundly. You need to run a fiscally sound transit system, but you need to invest in it enough to have a strong workforce there to run it safely. How do you manage those aspects, as they weren't all happening together when you worked there? A: 'Under Maura Healey in 2024, the T had more derailments than any transit in the country, number one in derailments by a factor of four. I would put that question back to the team there, as to what they are doing to get serious about safety and serious about derailments.' Q: Let's talk about education. Are there any aspects of the state's education system you're most focused on? A: 'I think some of the things going on in this state with vocational schools is really exciting. I think we've got to be creative and bold. The number-one thing we've got to do is return money back to cities and towns through Chapter 70 local aid.' When I look at what Governor Healey is spending on the migrant crisis, that's over a billion dollars a year that could be returned to cities and towns. You could give every city and town $7 million to $10 million dollars, which they could put into their local schools. 'Most of education policy is happening at the local level. Many cities and towns are looking at flat funding for Chapter 70 this year. The state should be pushing as much money down to those cities and towns as they can to help them build great schools. But that means we've got to get serious about reducing our spend on the migrant crisis, about the broad size of state government.' 'The local teachers, the local police, the local fire — that's where services are delivered. I would advocate for as much choice for parents as we can [give], to give parents good alternatives, because I think parents always know best." Q: Vocational and technical school admissions policy is a big conversation right now. What are your thoughts? A: 'I think we just need more of those schools. Everywhere where they build really good vocational schools, there's tremendous demand, so let's just start with that. That's where I would focus, is really on the supply side of the equation.' 'It's clear people vote with their feet, right? There are 500 people a week leaving Massachusetts. They're voting with their feet. Parents vote with their feet when it comes to schools, and when you see the demand for vocational schools, that's parents and families voting with their feet saying, 'We want more of that.'' Q: You're vocal about supporting local law enforcement being able to cooperate with federal immigration agents. A: 'Governor Shortsleeve day one: The State Police would cooperate with ICE to deport people with criminal records. That's critically important. I also think that the financial side of this crisis is enormous. You're looking at just over the first nine months of this fiscal year, a run rate spend of over a billion dollars.' 'In cumulative total since January 2023, the state has probably spent $2 billion to $3 billion on this. That's money I think would be much better spent on Massachusetts citizens, much better spent on local schools, much better spent on reducing the tax burden, making the state more affordable.' Q: You're supportive of federal agents coming in and arresting and detaining criminals. ICE agents have reportedly been taking people who weren't initially targets and who are not criminals, but are undocumented. A lot of immigrant communities are very fearful. They're not going to work, they're not going to school. Immigrants are a big part of the Massachusetts economy. How do you approach those situations? A: 'We've always had a vibrant immigrant community here. Massachusetts needs it. It grows our economy. But people need to be here legally. They need to come here legally. So I would support deporting convicted criminals.' 'I would support doing universal background checks in the shelters — Healey does CORI checks, which don't help you much, because that's Massachusetts only." 'So day one, universal background checks. But most importantly, I think we've got to focus on solving the problem: That our sanctuary city policies and our right-to-shelter law have made this state a magnet for illegal immigrants, and it's costing the state billions of dollars.' Q: Agents are coming in and taking people who are undocumented but are NOT criminals. Are you supportive of that? A: 'I think people should get due process. And from what I read, I see due process playing out. But look, I'm running for governor, I'm not running for president, and I'm not running to be the arbiter on these things. I'm focused on Massachusetts. Maura Healey is going to run against Trump.' 'I'm running for the people of Massachusetts. That's what I care about. Governor Healey loves talking about all the problems with the current president. Guess what? She didn't do very well under the previous president, either. Our problems in this state — in terms of private sector job growth, affordability, runaway state spending — are Healey's problems." Q: You're running in the Republican primary against another former Baker executive, Mike Kennealy. What sets you two apart? Why are you the right Republican to chart this path? A: 'Our voters want a winner. They want someone who's tough enough to win this race. I'm the candidate that can beat Healey. And I will bring not only a sort of a businessman's mindset and outsider perspective, but I'll bring a Marine's determination to the task.' 'We had a phenomenal first 20 days of fundraising. We raised more than anyone ever has in their first month. Shattered the records. When I'm out with the grassroots, when I'm talking to donors, I think people feel I've got the right profile, I've got the energy, I got the determination, and most importantly, I'm a fighter. It's gonna take a fighter to win this race. It's not going to be an easy race.' Trump deploying National Guard to quell protests in Los Angeles despite Newsom's objections 'We are not just fighting for Harvard': For alums, this year feels different DOGE team can access Social Security systems, US Supreme Court rules This is my classroom. ICE isn't welcome here. Republicans are also sweating Medicaid cuts in Big Beautiful Bill, poll finds Read the original article on MassLive.
