Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Voters cast ballots in MDJ races
Early election results indicated a mixed bag of victories for incumbents and fresh faces
Voters in Chester County were given choices of who should serve as their magisterial district judge in four different district courts in Tuesday’s general election. Early returns showed a victory for Democrats in two hotly contested races, including a prime showdown in West Chester.
Democratic attorney Bret Binder was leading incumbent Mark Bruno in the West Chester-centered seat, while his fellow party member and attorney Al Iacocca led GOP attorney Jane Donze in the Kennett Square race.
In Pennsylvania, magisterial district judges handle small claims, landlord tenant cases, traffic and non-traffic citations, and rule on preliminary hearings for those charged with felonies and misdemeanors. The po-
sition has a yearly salary of $89,438.
All election results are unofficial until certified by the county board of elections.
In West Chester, one of the busiest courts in the county and located in the county seat, Bruno was seeking re-election to the position he has held for three consecutive terms, but faced a strong challenge from Binder, a former West Chester Area School Board member.
Bruno had pointed to his three terms on the bench and proven record of dispensing justice in the court as reason why he should have been returned to office, while Binder proclaimed that he would begin fresh initiatives in the court that would reach out to workers, students and veterans.
With a majority of the vote tallied at 11 p.m., Binder led Bruno by 2,872 votes to 2,626, while Iacocca led Donze by 3,753 to 2,555.
Up north, in the court that is centered in North Coventry, police officer John Hipple, running as a Republican, appeared to have defeated West Vincent resident Keith Eldridge for the seat left vacant by the retirement of James DeAngelo.
Results showed Hipple ahead by 3,019 votes to Eldridge’s 2,900.
Finally, incumbent Magisterial District Judge Scott Massey, who had won both the Democratic and Republican primaries, beat back a challenge from Independent candidate Stephen Sheppleman, with early results showing a margin of 74 percent to 24 percent.
The race between Bruno and Binder was among those heavily watched. Bruno cited a long record of service, while Binder, a relative newcomer to judicial elections, said he hoped to add new programs to the court.
In West Chester, Bruno stressed his experience.
“I enjoy this job,” said Bruno, who first took office in 1998. ”I enjoy working with the people in court, promoting community service, and teaching kids how to make the right choice in life. Plus, I’ve heard more cases than any other district judge sitting on the bench, and so my experience is second to none.”
Binder said he was promoting his candidacy as a way of bringing a fresh perspective to how to deal with people who find themselves in court. “If 18 years, it is time for some new ideas,” as well as the expertise an attorney brings to the bench.
West Chester’s District Court 15-1-01 covers the western half of West Chester, as well as the townships of East Bradford and West Bradford. It has among the highest number of cases — criminal, civil and traffic — in Chester County, and among the highest in the state. Both men were running for a full six-year term
The Kennet Square court position pitted two attorneys against one another. The court serves Birmingham, Pennsbury, Pocopson, Newlin, Kennett and East Marlborough Townships and Kennett Square Borough.
Donze, a resident of the area for 23 years, has owned a law firm in the Willowdale Town Center in East Marlborough for the past 19 years, and for the last 17 years, with her husband and law partner, George Donze.
“Being our district judge goes beyond simply knowing and applying the law,” Donze said in a campaign interview. “Our judge needs to be fair, ethical and know our community. Most importantly, I am proud to call myself part of our community. I have lived here for decades, raised my children here, and volunteered my time to local civic groups and charities; I understand the concerns of our seniors and families.”
According to the candidate, for most of his life, Al Iacocca has given back to the community. He’s volunteered on scores of civic and nonprofit organizations, and now he’s looking to extend his role in public service by seeking to become the area’s next district justice.
“I like the ‘Service Above Self’ motto of Rotary,” said Iacocca, an active member of the Longwood Rotary Club. “That’s what my life is about. I think I’m tough, but compassionate. Sometimes we need to let people recover and rebuild. There’s a certain level of resolve. The critical thing is if a crime occurs, we need to make sure it does not happen again.”
Hipple is a North Coventry police officer who took on Eldridge, a business owner. District Court 15-301, located in South Coventry, covers Spring City, North Coventry, South Coventry, East Pikeland, East Coventry, Warwick, East Nantmeal, East Vincent and West Vincent.
Eldridge, 36, of West Vincent, graduated from Owen J. Roberts High School in 1999. He later opened his own construction company in 2006 that he has since continued to successfully run in addition to serving on the West Vincent Zoning Hearing Board.
“A lot of my interest, before running and while I continue to, are things that need to be handled in the Legislature, like bail reform,” he said. “I read too many things about how bail is almost used as a punishment for people who can’t afford it.”
Hipple, 47, of North Coventry, cited his experience in law enforcement as a qualification for office. A lifelong resident of Chester County, he graduated from Owen J. Roberts High School and in 2004 began working as a police officer.
“I know what the community is looking for in terms of value and integrity and I believe I have those values,” he said. “I’m going to uphold the law and make the decisions based on the information that’s presented to me. I’m looking for the support of the community.”
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.