Latest news with #ErieCountyBarAssociation
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Verdict in Erie judge race to come in fall as Mosco and Lightner score party nominations
The three-way race for Erie County judge is down to two nominees. In a race in which one of the candidates could have won both party nominations and locked up the race, Emily Mosco Merski took the Democratic nomination and Jeremy Lightner took the Republican nomination, according to final unofficial vote totals the Erie County Elections and Voter Registration Office released at 11:28 p.m. on May 20. The total includes all mail-in ballots, the office said. The third candidate in the judge's race, Leigh Ann Orton, lost both nominations. Merski and Lightner will run against each other in the Nov. 4 municipal election for a seat on the nine-member Erie County Court of Common Pleas. Merski and Lightner are both registered Democrats who cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican ballots. Orton is a registered Republican who also cross-filed. With 100% of precincts reporting, Merski, a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County, received 15,100 votes on the Democratic ballot, or 58.2%, according to the unofficial totals. Lightner received 7,859 Democratic votes, or 30.29%, and Orton received 2,936 or 11.32%. On the Republican side, Lightner led with 5,801 votes, or 37.27%. Orton received 4,924 Republican votes, or 31.63%, and Merski received 4,806, or 30.87%. Merski, 42, is a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County who also has a private law practice. Lightner, 39, is one of two chief deputy district attorneys for Erie County. Both live in the city of Erie. More: Review coverage from the Erie County municipal primary Orton, 53, is the first assistant solicitor for Erie County. She lives in North East Township and unsuccessfully ran for judge in 2023. Merski was the only candidate who received a "recommended" rating in the Erie County Bar Association's lawyers' poll. Lightner and Orton both received "no rating." Merski and Lightner's campaigns both relied on personal loans and in-kind contributions for funding. Orton's campaign raised the least of the three, according to pre-primary campaign finance filings. The winner on Nov. 4 will fill the seat on the local bench that has been vacant since Judge Elizabeth K. Kelly retired in April 2024. Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@ or 814-870-1813. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Mosco, Lightner win nominations in judge's race, will compete in fall
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A public defender, a prosecutor and a solicitor: 3 candidates vie for Erie County judge
The three lawyers have different practices areas and levels of experience. But they are all aiming for the same job — a judge on the nine-member Erie County Court of Common Pleas. Emily Mosco Merski, 42, a Democrat, is a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County who also in private practice. Jeremy Lightner, 39, a Democrat, is a chief deputy district attorney for Erie County. Leigh Ann Orton, 53, a Republican, is the first assistant solicitor for Erie County who is also in private practice. All three candidates have cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican ballots, meaning the race will be narrowed to at least two candidates in the municipal primary on May 20. Voters could pick a Democratic and a Republican nominee. Or a candidate could lock up both nominations. Then the sole nominee on both tickets would be all but guaranteed victory on Nov. 4 to a 10-year-term as judge, with a retention vote not until 2035. Candidate controversy: Nomination petitions were challenged in Erie County judge race. The case quickly unraveled The annual salary, as set by law, is currently $227,411. The mandatory retirement age is 75. The winner in November will fill a seat that has been vacant since the retirement of Judge Elizabeth K. Kelly in April 2024. Of the three candidates this year, only Orton has run for office before. She lost in a race for Erie County judge two years ago. Judicial candidates in Pennsylvania are prohibited from commenting on how they would rule on specific cases. The limitation puts the focus on the candidates' backgrounds and experience. In the case of judges in Erie County, lawyers with the Erie County Bar Association weigh in on who they think are most qualified. The association's members gave Merski the only "recommended" rating in a poll released in late April. Another marquee race: Democrats Devlin, Schember spar over city of Erie's finances as mayor's race heats up The Erie Times-News asked each of the candidates about their qualifications and experience and why they want to be a judge. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Read their responses here: Emily Mosco Merski cites community service Jeremy Lightner touts work as prosecutor Leigh Ann Orton focuses on family law in run For more information, the Erie County Bar Association's website includes the judges' resumes and their answers to the association's questions. The results of the lawyers' poll are also on the site. Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@ or 814-870-1813. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Three candidates make their arguments in race for Erie County judge
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Merski gets only 'recommended' rating from lawyers in three-way race for Erie County judge
As the May 20 municipal primary approaches, Erie County's lawyers have returned their verdict on who should be the next judge on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas. Members of the Erie County Bar Association rated none of the three judicial candidates as "highly recommended," and are recommending only one of the candidates as qualified for the one open seat on the nine-member local bench. Emily Mosco Merski, 42, an Erie resident and an assistant public defender for Erie County, received an overall rating of "recommended," according to the results of the Bar Association's judicial poll, known as a plebiscite. Merski is a registered Democrat running on the Democratic and Republican ballots. The other two candidates in this year's judicial race received rankings of "no rating." They are Jeremy Lightner, 39, of Erie, a chief deputy district attorney for Erie County and a registered Democrat, and Leigh Ann Orton, 53, of North East, the first assistant solicitor for Erie County and a registered Republican. Lightner and Orton have also cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican ballots. Mayoral race: Erie Democratic Party committee members endorse Devlin in mayor's race The Bar Association said the ranking of "no rating" applies when more than 50% of the membership who voted fails to rate a candidate as either "highly recommended," "recommended" or "not recommended." Overall, 200 lawyers out of 428 eligible Bar Association members voted in the poll, for a participation rate of 46.7%, the association said. The Bar Association released the poll results on April 25. They are posted on its website at The site also includes the candidates' resumes, biographical information and responses to a Bar Association questionnaire. The Bar Association conducts a plebiscite among its members whenever a seat is up for election on the Erie County Court of Common Pleas. The association "conducts judicial candidate ratings so the public will know how fellow attorneys, who work more closely with the candidates than anyone else, would rate their qualifications to be judge," the association said in a statement. The May 20 municipal primary could produce a Democratic nominee and a Republican nominee in the judicial race. Or one candidate could win both nominations, all but locking up a win in the Nov. 4 election. The winner in November will fill the seat that has been vacant since Judge Elizabeth K. Kelly retired in April 2024. Another seat will open on the bench in the 2027 election. Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender is retiring in January 2026, creating another vacancy. Judge are elected in odd-year elections in Pennsylvania. The winner of this year's race will serve a 10-year term and then be up for a retention vote for another 10-year term. Judges in Pennsylvania must retire at age 75. The annual pay for a Common Pleas Court judge as of Jan. 1 is $227,411, as set by state law. Possible changes: How Trump's new voter ID mandate could impact elections in Pennsylvania Two Erie County's judges are up for retention votes on Nov. 4. They are President Judge Joseph M. Walsh and Judge John J. Mead, both first elected in 2015. The Erie County Bar Association typically weighs in on retention votes in the fall. In this year's race, one of the three candidates received more than 50% of the Bar Association vote for either "highly recommended, "recommended" or "not recommended." The association said it also determined a "recommended" rating by joining the results of the votes for "recommended" and "highly recommended" and seeing whether the combined vote was higher than 50%. That combination led to Merski's "recommended" rating, according to the poll results. Merski received the highest percentage of votes for an overall rating of "highly recommended" — 32.5%. The figures were 27% for "recommended," 27% for "not recommended" and 13.5% for "no opinion." For Lightner, the figures were 17.5% for "highly recommended," 30.5% for "recommended," 31.5% for "not recommended" and 20.5% for "no opinion." For Orton, the figures were 11.5% for "highly recommended," 28% for "recommended," 35.5% for "not recommended" and 25% for "no opinion." The Bar Association members were also polled on whether each candidate possesses the competence, integrity, temperament and experience to be a judge. The highest possible score in each category was a 5. Merski finished first in three of the four categories and tied with Lightner in the fourth. Competence — Merski, average score of 3.5; Lightner, 3.5; Orton, 3.1. Integrity — Merski, 3.7; Lightner, 3.5; Orton, 3.4. Temperament — Merski, 3.6; Orton, 3.2; Lightner, 3. Experience — Merski, 3.5; Lightner, 3.1; Orton, 3. Merski said her "recommended" rating pleased her. She has been in practice at Vendetti & Vendetti law firm in Erie for the past 13 years and since 2012 has been a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County, specializing in appeals. "I'm honored to be the only candidate recommended by the Erie County Bar Association — a distinction awarded through a peer vote that reflects my experience, competence, integrity and judicial temperament," Merski said. "Throughout this campaign, I have maintained that I am the best candidate to be Erie County's next judge based on my diverse practice background and understanding of the needs of our community. "The support of my colleagues means the world to me because not everyone comes before the court — the Erie County Bar works with the judges on a daily basis and this recommendation from my peers reflects their confidence in me to be the person they believe is the most qualified." Lightner focused on the 20.5% of the voting Bar Association members who said they had no opinion on whether he should be a judge. Lightner has been a prosecutor in the Erie County District Attorney's Office since 2014. He has been the office's trial chief deputy district attorney since 2023, working as top aide to District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz. "I respect the 'no opinion' report from the Bar Association," Lightner said. "Most of the bar are not criminal defense attorneys who handle violent crime and gun cases. I would have to say 'no opinion' on most of the other attorneys as well — we've never shared a courtroom." Lightner referred to endorsements he has received from those who have seen him in court — retired Erie County Judges Shad Connelly and Ernest J. DiSantis Jr. as well as members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 7, for Erie police, and the FOP Lodge No. 64, for other police departments in Erie County. "I am thankful for their full endorsements," Lightner said. Orton commented on the number of Bar Association members who voted — 200 out of 428. Orton since early 2024 has been first assistant solicitor for Erie County in the administration of Erie County Executive Brenton Davis. She has been in private practice with husband, Chris, in Orton & Orton firm, North East, since 2018, and was with the Knox Law Firm in Erie from 2009-17. Of the three judicial candidates, only Orton has run for judge before. She lost the Republican nomination in the 2023 municipal primary for judge by 102 votes to Eric Mikovch, of Elk Creek Township. Mikovch lost in the municipal election to the Democratic nominee, Erie resident Peter Sala. The Bar Association gave Orton "no rating" in that primary race. "While I appreciate and respect the process, the plebiscite is a poll among the membership of the Erie County Bar Association," Orton said of the poll for this year's race. "The survey return rate among the membership was only 46.7% and the results do not appear to be statistically significant among the three judicial candidates in any particular category. "I may not have name recognition, and I may be the least known among the Bar Association membership, which I believe is reflected in the fact that 25% of the membership who responded to the poll were not able to offer an opinion of my qualifications," Orton said. "What is most important is that the voters of Erie County know I have more than 30 years of experience, primarily in family law, a skill set which is highly needed on the bench at this time. I also have expertise in civil litigation, probate and estates, municipal law and real estate. "I would like voters to know that I have the qualifications, integrity, knowledge and experience to effectively serve as a judge of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas." Ed Palattella at epalattella@ or 814-870-1813. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 3-way Erie judge race: In poll, lawyers recommend only one candidate
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Yahoo
Erie students put their law skills to the test at ECBA mock trial competition
Some of the region's best and brightest high school students got an inside look at our judicial system. Over the past two days, the Erie County Bar Association has hosted a mock trial competition at the Erie County Courthouse. Millcreek Twp. moving ahead with Zem Zem Shrine Club assessment About 100 students from six regional high schools competed and if it weren't for their young faces, you'd might just mistake them for actual attorney's based on their arguments. Imagine you're sitting in a courtroom for a trial. Witnesses are being questioned about the actions of a defendant, corroborating evidence, and giving in to disclosing information after being grilled by attorneys. But as arguments start to really hold their ground, you realize that these convincing arguments are coming from high school students who have practiced and researched for weeks to get ready for a mock trial competition. Several arrested on various charges after New York police chase, raid 'The mock trial event here teaches a lot of the students definite qualities on time management, personal responsibility, and it really tasks you to digging into all of the paperwork, statements and really close analysis and formulating your argument on top of that,' said Ben McCrory, the 'prosecution attorney' from Northwestern High School. Students directly took on the roles of attorneys, witnesses and timekeepers as they acted out a civil or criminal trial as both the prosecution and defense and pled their case to the jury which consisted of Erie County Bar Association practicing attorneys and judges. 'The level of commitment by the kids is really exceptional for 17, 18, maybe even 19 years old and the bravery it takes to get up in front of a mock jury, a mock judge, and all of your friends and family watching. I really commend them for the time they spent, their preparation,' said Lisa Presta, a senior partner at MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP. One of the teams competing was from Northwestern High School and for some of the students, it was their first time ever in a courtroom. This was the first competition for the new coach of the mock trial team he said he was just as nervous in the courtroom as his students probably were but was proud of their accomplishments. 'How you raise objections in the courtroom, how you craft your opening arguments and your questioning, and closing statements. It's been a lot of fun getting to learn through it with them,' said Zach Petty, mock trial advisor and head coach at Northwestern High School. Teams that advance from this competition will compete in Harrisburg for a chance to represent Pennsylvania in the National High School Mock Trial Championship. 'And they take away that kind of advocacy and verbal skills that you really hope is going to continue to increase with the next generation,' Presta said. Erie County Council discusses potential salary increase for elected officials 'It's truly been a great experience. I was unsure how it was going to go, but it's been one of the best groups and experiences that I've had in my high school career,' McCrory went on to say. Students didn't immediately hear the verdict after the trial but they'll find out on Friday if their arguments held water in the eyes of the jurors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
