Education, Experience
As a seasoned prosecutor with extensive jury trial experience and Drug Task Force supervisor, I've litigated complex cases throughout Berks County courts. My background as a public defender adds valuable perspective to my Juris Doctorate education. Combined with my master's in social work, this diverse legal career uniquely qualifies me to serve as your Common Pleas Judge.
Qualifications
As a prosecutor in Berks County's DA office and former public defender, I understand justice from all angles. My social work with troubled youth gives me unique insight. I'll bring legal expertise, balanced perspective, and compassionate understanding to deliver fair justice as your Common Pleas Judge.
Campaign Phone
484-769-8357
My diverse legal career has uniquely prepared me for the role of Common Pleas Judge. As a prosecutor in the Berks County District Attorney's Office handling violent criminal cases, I've developed extensive trial experience and deep knowledge of criminal procedure. This prosecution work has honed my ability to evaluate evidence, apply legal standards, and make difficult decisions under pressure. The skills that a trial judge needs while demonstrating the appropriate judicial temperament.
1. Ensuring efficient administration of justice: Court backlogs delay justice for all parties. 2. Protecting equal access to justice: I will ensure that all who appear in my courtroom, regardless of background or resources, receive fair and equal treatment under the law. 3. Enhancing public safety through thoughtful sentencing: Drawing on my experience prosecuting violent crime, I understand the balance between appropriate punishment, rehabilitation, and community protection.
Judicial recusal is essential to maintaining the integrity and impartiality of our courts. Judges must recuse themselves whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. In my case, having served in the DA's Office, I would recuse myself from cases I personally prosecuted or directly supervised. For example, if a defendant appeared before me seeking post-conviction relief for a case I had prosecuted, I would immediately recuse myself. The judicial system depends on this impartiality.
Education, Experience
I have two bachelor’s degrees from Penn State in Film/Video and Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University. I received the International Trial Advocacy Award at graduation. I worked in the Berks County Public Defender’s Office and then went into private practice. I am currently a partner at Palange, Endres & Marks, P.C. I have been practicing for almost 20 years.
Qualifications
I have extensive trial experience practicing in all divisions of the court, including Family, Criminal, Civil, Dependency, and Orphans' Court. I also have handled Appellate cases. I have been appointed as a guardian ad litem over 100 times by the courts, due to my unbiased, ethical approach to protecting children and victims.
I am the only candidate who has practiced in all divisions of the court, including Family, Criminal, Civil, Dependency, and Orphans' Court, in addition to handling Appellate cases. That diverse experience is invaluable to being an effective Common Pleas Judge. I have extensive trial experience which is complemented by my appointments as a guardian ad litem over 100 times by the courts, reflecting my unwavering and unbiased commitment to protecting the best interests of children and victims.
My three top priorities would be: 1) To ensure fairness and equal treatments to all individuals that come before the court regardless of wealth, politics or status. All decisions must be impartial and unbiased. 2) To ensure that cases are heard promptly and without delay as parties deserve finality. 3) Strictly follow the letter of the law to protect families and victims while upholding due process.
Judicial recusal is crucial for maintaining public trust in the judiciary. When a judge's impartiality may be reasonably questioned due to actual or perceived conflicts of interest, whether personal or financial, they must recuse themselves. For instance, a former district attorney elected to the bench should not handle criminal cases they were involved in, as this could create an appearance of bias.
Education, Experience
I graduated from law school with honors in 2004. During law school, I was a member of a law journal and had four internships or jobs, including one with a federal magistrate judge. After graduation, I worked as a judicial law clerk for a year. In 2005 I became an assistant public defender for the Berks County Public Defender’s Office. I resigned in 2017 after I was elected to be the Magisterial District Judge for Wyomissing and West Reading. Since then, I have received annual judicial training.
Qualifications
I have been a magisterial district judge since 2018. I have overseen a courtroom, made evidentiary rulings, decided cases, and written judicial opinions that the Berks County Law Journal has published. I am the only candidate who has any of this judicial experience. I have also been a lawyer for approximately 20 years, which is longer than either of my opponents. I have experience with the types of cases that a Common Pleas Judge presides over: criminal, civil, and family law cases.
Campaign Phone
N/A
I have seven years of judicial experience that neither of my opponents has, as I have been a district judge since 2018. Every year I have made evidentiary rulings and decided hundreds of cases. I have written judicial opinions as both a law clerk and now as a judge. Attorneys and litigants have complimented my judicial demeanor and how I have handled cases.
As a lawyer and/or as a judge, I have dealt with the types of cases that a Common Pleas Judge has: criminal, civil, and family law cases.
1. To follow the constitution and the law when applying the facts in each case, while keeping politics out of every case.
2. To be fair and impartial. I believe I have been fair and impartial as a district judge since I began serving in 2018, and I will continue to do so. Every case should have a fair and impartial judge.
3. To give all parties in every proceeding a chance to present their case so that everyone feels that they were heard, even if they ultimately disagree with my decision.
I agree. As a sitting judge, I have already recused myself from cases. For a recent example, a person talked to me about how he had been defrauded, and I recommended that he go to the police. When the police filed charges in my court against that individual, I recused myself and the case was reassigned to another district judge. It would have been improper for me to keep the case. A judge must recuse himself whenever he has been involved in a case and/or is too close to a party or a witness.
