Latest news with #7thJudicialDistrict
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is running for the Bucks County bench? These candidates want to be judges
In addition to school board and municipal races, Bucks County voters are also choosing party nominations for judges on the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas in Bucks County, which is the 7th Judicial District. Most of the candidates choose to cross-file and appear on both Republican and Democratic primaries. Only Colin Monahan, a Republican, and Tiffany Thomas-Smith, a Democrat, did not cross-file and only appear on their party ballots. Voters can choose up to four judge candidates. Here is some background on the candidates as presented by the political parties and based on additional available information. The candidates for the bench are: Joseph Pizzo, of Bensalem, a municipal and litigation attorney who serves as solicitor for Northampton. He has served as municipal solicitor and special counsel in towns throughout the county, and serves as board president of the Bucks County Housing Development Corp. Gary Gambardella, of Bedminster, a district court judge and a former Bucks County deputy district attorney. Amy Fitzpatrick, of Northampton, current Bucks County solicitor. Prior to holding office, she "worked at two national law firms, gaining extensive experience in civil litigation," according to the Democratic Party. Linda Bobrin, of Newtown Township, a former township supervisor who also serves as the elected Bucks County register of wills and clerk of orphans' court. Prior to holding office, she was in private practice with her own law firm. Chelsey Crocker Jackman, of Buckingham, a former Bucks County deputy district attorney. She worked in the solicitor's office before going into private practice focusing on land use, real estate and municipal law. Dawn DiDonato Burke, of Lower Makefield, a former prosecutor in Philadelphia and now in private practice. She is a mediator with the the Bucks County Mortgage Diversion and a board member of the Bucks County Housing Development Corp. Colin Monahan, of East Rockhill, in private practice with his own firm. He has worked in election law and represents clients in everything from "high value injury matters and federal Civil Rights cases to simple traffic cases," according to his Republican Party bio. Grace Deon, of Northampton, a trial lawyer and president and CEO of Eastburn and Gray, P.C, the largest and oldest law firm in Bucks County. She is the president of the distribution committee for the nonprofit Bucks County Foundation. Tiffany Thomas-Smith, of Lower Makefield, a family law attorney in private practice, who founded her own law firm and is involved in various nonprofits in the county. Thomas-Smith, Fitzpatrick, DiDonato Burke and Bobrin are the endorsed Democrats, and their full county party bios can be found here. Deon, Monahan, Crocker Jackman and Pizzo are the endorsed Republicans, and their full county party bios can be found here. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County Voting Guide: PA primary race for Bucks County judge
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New judge appointed to Nebraska's 7th Judicial District
NEBRASKA (KCAU) — There's a new district judge in northeast Nebraska. Governor Pillen appointed Michael Long, of Norfolk, to the position in the state's 7th Judicial District, which covers seven counties. Story continues below Top Story: Iowa lawmakers issue statements marking end of 2025 legislative session Lights & Sirens: Woman, accused of deadly stabbing in Monona County, submits plea Sports: Northwestern softball eliminated from NAIA Tournament with 10-2 loss to Marian Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here He's been a county court judge in that district since 2013. Before that, long was a county attorney in Antelope County and a deputy county attorney in Madison County. He fills the vacancy due to Judge Mark Johnson's retirement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
New Clay County treatment court aims to reduce repeat DWIs
Feb. 12—MOORHEAD — A new treatment court in Clay County is gearing up to make roads safer. In January, the 7th Judicial District started a DWI Court in Clay County, which seeks to reduce the number of people racking up repeated DWI offenses. The voluntary court serves as an alternative to prison time or typical probation for people convicted of a DWI multiple times. Around one-third of people convicted of a DWI will reoffend, said Clay/Becker Treatment Court Coordinator Kristal Kadrie. "Our goal really is to reduce that recidivism, which in turn then is safer for the roads, safer for the rest of the community," she said. Clay County's DWI Court was founded on Jan. 16, funded by a $150,000 Minnesota Department of Public Safety grant. Its first four participants started in February. The DWI Court is Clay County's newest treatment court. Clay and Becker counties have a joint Drug Court, which started in 2007, and a joint Veterans Treatment Court, which started in 2015. The DWI Court accepts people who have been convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs multiple times, are at a high risk to reoffend and are diagnosed with a moderate or severe substance abuse disorder. To participate in the Clay County court, a person must live in Clay County. National statistics for DWI courts show that people who participate in the treatment courts are dramatically less likely to reoffend than those who are sentenced to prison time or standard probation, said District Court Judge Michael Leeser, who presides over the DWI Court. DWI Court is still a type of probation, he said. "But this is a higher level of probation — more visits, more testing, more check-ins," Leeser said. "The evidence nationwide is certainly that if the goal really is to make the roads safer, to get these folks to stop driving while impaired, this is the most effective route." The increased supervision means DWI Court participants receive customized support. When starting in the court, participants have biweekly hearings where their treatment provider, case manager, probation agent and others who work with them check in with a judge. Using each person's perspective, the judge makes the final call on how to adjust a person's treatment to help them maintain stability by addressing factors like trauma, mental health and cravings for drugs or alcohol. The team of support providers also checks in during the weeks between meetings, Leeser said. Before a hearing, the judge meets with the treatment team to hear how the participant has been doing since the last hearing. "That's the real benefit, is you get this team of professionals who are dedicated to figuring out solutions for these folks, and I think that's generally why it's such a great success," he said. The duration of the program depends on the individual, Kadrie said, but tends to be between 15 months to two years. The DWI Court process may even take longer than a prison sentence. The minimum sentence for a second DWI in 10 years in Minnesota is 30 days of incarceration. A person convicted of five or more DWIs in 10 years faces a minimum of one year of incarceration. "They're actually taking the harder route, in my opinion, in terms of the work that they're going to do on themselves by being in this program," Kadrie said. "Some people can just go to prison and just do their time, come back and not do all that work. I mean, it really is a lot of work on them and a lot of expectations for them." Before Leeser was appointed as a district court judge, he worked as the assistant county attorney in Clay County. In that role, he served on the Drug Court team and saw the treatment court process play out. "The transformation of these folks' lives is nothing short of miraculous, and when you're in the criminal justice world long enough, it's easy to get a little jaded and cynical," Leeser said. "And for me, it was a wonderful reminder that people do change, they can change, and that nobody's beyond redemption and improving themselves." The Minnesota Judicial Council, the administrative authority for the Minnesota Judicial Branch, has a goal of having treatment courts in every Minnesota county, giving everybody in the state the opportunity to get into a treatment court, Kadrie said. "Giving that opportunity to people, I think, is a big, big thing," she said.
