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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 4, 2011

CONTACTS:Rudolph Garcia, [email protected]

Richard S. Seidel, [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION RELEASES RATINGS OF JUDICIAL

CANDIDATES FOR MAY 17 PRIMARY ELECTION

Rudolph Garcia, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, today

announced the first round of results of the Associ ations investigation into the

qualifications of candidates for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and candidates

for Philadelphia Municipal Court in the May 17 primary election. The investigation was

conducted by the Associations Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.

Garcia noted that the list of Recommended and Not Recommended

candidates is still incomplete and said additional names and ratings will be announced as

investigations are completed on the remaining candidates. Garcia said that the ratings

announced today provide the results for candidates who are on the ballot who submitted

to the Association s evaluation process by the Bars announced deadline of December 8,

2010.

We wanted to get these names and ratings out as soon as possible and invite

people to learn about these candidate ratings. They can do this by visiting our website at

www.philad elphiabar.org, Garcia said. The Chancellor pointed out that the

Associations Campaign for Qualified Judges has launched a banner that appears on the

homepage of the Associations website. The banner contains a link to print the

candidates ratings so voters can bring the list to the polls. Garcia said the Association


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wants voters to know not just who to vote for but why the judicial elections are so

important and why we invest so much time and energy in reviewing and rating these

candidates. This is the one place for voters to find a thorough, non-partisan, objective

rating of the candidates.

The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-

partisan. It includes lawyers and non-lawyers. Among the members of the Commission

are community leaders, officials including the District Attorney, Chief Public Defender,

City Solicitor, and the President Judges of Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court,

and representatives of minority legal groups and various sections of the Bar.

The ratings by the 30-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study andinvestigation by the Commissions own 120 -member investigative division, which

includes 30 non- lawyer members. Candidates found Recommended satisfied a

cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability, experience,

integrity, temperament, community involvement and judgment. Complete details can be

found at www.philadelphiabar.org.

The Commission will complete more than 40 evaluations of candidates for t he

11 open seats on Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, said Commission Chair

Richard S. Seidel. That is an enormous undertaking involving many hundreds of

interviews by the investigative division and careful review, consideration and

deliberation b y the Commission.

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were foundRECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Drew Aldinger RecommendedAnne Marie B. Coyle RecommendedCharles Ehrlich RecommendedMichael Fanning RecommendedAngelo J. Foglietta RecommendedVince Giusini RecommendedRoger F. Gordon, Jr. RecommendedJonathan Q. Irvine RecommendedVincent L. Johnson RecommendedSayde J. Ladov Recommended


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Harry J. Levant RecommendedChristopher Mallios, Jr. RecommendedBarbara A. McDermott RecommendedMaria McLaughlin RecommendedCarolyn H. Nichols Recommended

J. Scott OKeefe RecommendedKenneth J. Powell, Jr. RecommendedFran Shields RecommendedJoseph C. Waters, Jr. Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were foundRECOMMENDED for election to Municipal Court:

Michael Fanning Recommended

Kenneth J. Powell, Jr. RecommendedVincent L. Johnson Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found NOTRECOMMENDED for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Martin S. Coleman Not RecommendedJim Divergilis Not RecommendedTom Fitzpatrick Not RecommendedBeverly Muldrow Not RecommendedLopez T. Thompson Not RecommendedTed J. Vigilante Not Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found NOTRECOMMENDED for election to Municipal Court :

Martin S. Coleman Not RecommendedJim Divergilis Not RecommendedAnita Smith Not Recommended

Additional names and ratings will be announced soon.

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