Binder takes the bench in West Chester

New magisterial district judge bested Mark Bruno in November’s election

WEST CHESTER » It was business as usual in District Court 15-1-01 here Tuesday, as criminal defendants appeared to face the charges against them, working out arrangements for continuances of plea agreements with the prosecution, cases moving forward through the judicial system as they have for hundreds of years.

But there was a notable exception.

For the first time in nearly two decades, a new face appeared through the doorway to the small courtroom as someone called, “All rise!” and the court’s presiding judge walked in to take his place on the bench. At 9:15 a.m. Magisterial District Judge Bret Binder began the first day of his six-year term, two months after besting long-term office holder Mark Bruno in the general election.

It is the second time in the history of that Chester County district court, one of two in the county seat, that a registered Democrat has held the position of judge. Not since former judge Mitchell Crane held the office has a member of the county’s minority party served as head of the borough’s district court.

Binder, an East Bradford attorney, handled his morning’s caseload of criminal cases with no holdups, only the normal delays in procedure that come from taking over a new job.

“Bear with me,” Binder told those in the courtroom when he opened court. “With the first day on the bench, everything will be a little slower. But justice will still be served by the end of the day.”

Binder beat Bruno in the latter’s re-election campaign for a fourth term, winning the Democratic primary in May over the incumbent and then again in November’s historic election, in which Democrats won fist-ever victories in several county and local offices. Binder received 3,639 votes to Bruno’s 3,179.

Bruno, a West Chester native and among the few remaining magisterial district judges in the county with no formal legal or law enforcement experience in his past career, had been on the borough’s bench since 1998, except for a span of 18 months during which he was under suspension by the state Supreme Court as he fought, successfully, federal criminal charges related to a ticket fixing scandal in Philadelphia, He was acquitted of all charges in 2014.

Binder, 39, who previously served on the West Chester Area School Board, promoted his candidacy as a way to bring a fresh perspective on how to deal with people who find themselves in court. An attorney with the firm of Binder & Canno of West Chester, specializing in business and real estate law, he is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Villanova School of Law.

He was officially sworn in on Friday in a private ceremony at his home, with

state Superior Court Judge Paula Francisco Ott administering the oath.

In a brief interview before taking the bench Tuesday, Binder said he had been making the transition to the bench smoothly with the assistance of court personnel and other county MDJs.

“It’s going great,” he said in an office bare of personal touches, with a clean desk, no framed pictures on the walls, and an empty bookcase. “The staff here is wonderful and they are helping me make the transition. The staff has an excellent reputation, and I see no need to change what works.”

He said he had conferred with his new colleagues on the bench, Magisterial District Judges Marian Thayer Vito of West Chester, Annalisa Sondergaard of Tredyffrin, John Bailey of West Whiteland and Gregory Hines of Coatesville, on how best to be effective in the court. “The outreach from the other magisterial

district judges have helped me understand the procedures, and it has been outstanding. Everyone involved in the court system has gone out of their way to answer all my questions, and help with the transition.”

He said he had not had the opportunity to speak with Bruno, who left office last month.

He said, however, that he had not begun the task of attempting to put in place ideas for new procedures for the district court on which he campaigned, such as regular night court hours or treatment courts for veterans and others. Such changes would have to be made with permission of the county’s president judge, Jacqueline Carroll Cody, and the county Court Administrator.

“It is going to take me some time to get my feet under me before you can undertake changes to the system,” he said, adding that he looked forward to working

to put his campaign promises into action. He said he had spoken with local police officers, including West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn, and was gratified with their cooperation.

If Binder was nervous on the bench after court was called to order, he did not show it. He handled just over a half-dozen cases in about an hour, accepting continuance requests and setting up plea agreements for misdemeanor cases that were recommended by the prosecutor assigned to the court, Assistant District Attorney Peter Johnsen.

The only glitch? The autosign function on the court printer had not yet been programmed for his signature on official court documents, so he had to sign the forms himself.

“When I was sitting in with other judges, they all had the system down,” he commented while filling out one form. “It’s like they all have eight arms.”

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 perhaps the highest number of cases, criminal, civil, and traffic, in the county, and among the highest in the state.

In Pennsylvania, magisterial district judges handle small claims, landlord tenant cases, traffic and nontraffic citations, and rule on preliminary hearings for those charged with felonies and misdemeanors. Terms are six years, and the position has a salary of $89,438.

Also taking office Tuesday as a newly elected Democrat for a district court post was Magisterial District Justice Al Iacocca in Kennett Square. Both men will be formally sworn in at ceremonies this morning at West Chester University.

Bret Binder