Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Downtown Easton lawyer comes in first on both ballots in five-person race.
Antonia Grifo is set to become Easton's new district judge. The downtown Easton attorney was in first place on both the Democratic and Republican tickets late Tuesday night, according to unofficial results. With the nominations of both parties in the primary, Grifo is essentially guaranteed a win in this fall's general election. Grifo was up against four other challengers for the seat, running what's considered to be the busiest district court in the county. She had argued that her experience with the law and her connection to the community made her an ideal choice for the job. Facing her were city controller Tony Bassil, code inspector Sharbel Koorie, attorney Tim Prendergast and constable Lance Wheeler. Both Koorie and Bassil appeared on…
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Two lawyers, a constable, a code inspector and the city controller all running for vacant court seat.
Five different candidates—all from different parts of Easton, all with deep roots in the community—want to be the city's next district judge. In the weeks leading up to the May 21 primary election, we asked all of them to fill out a questionnaire about themselves and their candidacy. Click on their names to see how they responded: Of the five candidates, three—Koorie, Grifo and Bassil—are cross-filed so that they'll appear on the Democratic and Republican ballots. The seat—which covers downtown Easton, College Hill and part of the West Ward—was left open last year upon the sudden death of Judge Gay Elwell. There's a chance the state could approve a county redistricting plan for its courts, which would move the section of the West Ward …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Five Easton candidates for district judge—two of them lawyers—debate that question.
When you're running for district judge, it's not like trying to get onto a school board or city council. There aren't really any issues you can come out for or against. So when the five people who want to take over Easton's downtown district court seat sat down Monday night at an NAACP candidate's forum at the Easton Teen Center, they mainly talked about their qualifications, experience, and whether you need to be a lawyer to do the job. Not surprisingly, the answer to that last question was a "No" from the three non-lawyers in the race, and a "No, but it helps" from the two attorneys seeking the office. Tony Bassil, the city's constroller, attorney Antonia Grifo, code inspector Sharbel Koorie, attorney Tim Prendergast and constable Lance …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Easton constable wants to become city's newest district judge.
Editor's note: In the weeks leading up to the May 21 primary, we asked Easton area candidates to fill out questionnaires about themselves. This is how district judge hopeful Lance Wheeler responded. Age: I am 45 years of age. Family: My family goes back many generations in Easton. I live on South Ninth Street with my beautiful wife, Jamie Pettis, and our two amazing daughters, Myla (3) and Makaeya (5). Political party affiliation: I’m a lifelong Democrat. Tell us about your educational background: I am a class of 1986 graduate of Easton High School. While attending Westchester Community College I played ball and started as a safety and cornerback. I’ve also graduated from the Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Academy and the State Constable …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Easton resident is third person running for district court vacancy.
Lance Wheeler says experience in justice system qualifies him for bench.
An Easton constable has joined the race for the city's vacant district judge seat. Lance Wheeler -- who previously served as Northampton County's lead court officer -- says his experience in the city and in the courts qualifies him for the job. He announced his candidacy Tuesday afternoon in front of his home on S. Ninth Street in Easton's West Ward. "This is where I grew up," Wheeler told supporters. "I experienced what the crime rate is. I can see the homicides. I can see the landlord tenant disputes. I can see that happening in the West Ward." Wheeler is one of -- so far -- three candidates seeking the seat left vacant last month by the death of District Judge Gay Elwell. The county's senior judges will fill in until a permanent …
Sunday, January 6, 2013
At least two candidates plan to run for District Judge Gay Elwell's post, while an Easton attorney could announce her candidacy on Monday.
The race to fill Easton's vacant district judge seat could be a crowded one. Last week, city code enforcement officer Sharbel Koorie announced his candidacy for the position left open by the death of Judge Gay Elwell. On Friday, Lance Wheeler, a constable and former lead court officer in Northampton County, said he'll make his announcement January 15. And they could be facing a third opponent: Easton attorney Antonia Grifo has scheduled a news conference for Monday to "discuss the Magisterial District Judge position." Elwell, 54, died in December of natural causes. The county's retired district judges have been filling in until a new judge is elected or appointed.
PatchPoster
11:09 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Miss Grifo has misstated the relevant law on judicial endorsements. She is presumably referring to Canon 7B(2) of the Code of Judicial Conduct which states that judicial candidates may not personally solicit publicly stated support. Canon 7B(2) goes on to state that one of the very purposes of a judicial campaign committee is to solicit publicly stated support. There is absolutely no prohibition … more ›