Two vie for East Goshen court seat

EAST GOSHEN >> The two candidates running for the Magisterial District Court position that covers four municipalities and a portion of a fifth in the eastern section of Chester County agree that one-on-one communications with those appearing in court is an essential asset for the bench.

“The best (magisterial district judges) are individuals that can be fair, patient, and respectful to all the parties involved in a case,” said the incumbent, Thomas Tartaglio, in an email response to questions from the Daily Local News. “It is my job to break down an issue by applying the rules of procedure so that both parties will be treated with fairness and integrity.

“I realize most people are uncomfortable attending court and

are worried about saying something wrong,” he continued. “I take great care in addressing expectations and explaining the process before anyone is sworn in.”

His opponent, attorney MacKenzie W. Smith, said that although knowledge of the law and procedures and organizational skills are important for a district judge, it is the interpersonal skills someone brings that sets them apart.

“District judges must be able to relate to all kinds of people,” Smith said in her email. “A good district judge should know what it is like to be a plaintiff and defendant, the prosecution and defense. Only with a broad, well rounded experience in the law can a district judge gain the ability and independence to genuinely relate to all types of parties.”

The court that Tartaglio is running for re-election to and which Smith is trying to win election to is centered in East Goshen, and covers Easttown, Malvern, Willistown and the southern neighborhoods of Tredyffrin. As part of the so-called “minor judiciary,” judges oversee preliminary criminal cases ranging from drunk driving arrests to homicide prosecutions; summary offenses like traffic violations; and small claims lawsuits such as landlord-tenant disputes.

Tartaglio, 50, of Tredyffrin, is seeking his thirdterm to the seat he was appointed to in 2009 by then Gov. Ed Rendell. A graduate of West Chester University with a master’s degree from Colorado State University, he cites his experience on the bench as well as his community ties as reasons for his re-election.

“For the past 12 years, I have provided a fair and balanced approach to apply the law at the district court level,” he wrote in his email. “With over 38,000 combined cases, I have a track record that reflects my competency in the law while being a neutral arbitrator for all parties.

Noting that he had worked as a police officer in Tredyffrin for 12 years before taking the bench, Tartaglio said, “For the past 24 years, I have worked in and around the Chester County justice system and value my unique experience of growing up, policing and raising my family in this community. This experience and commitment to the community allow me to network outside resources to find the appropriate counseling and care for firsttime offenders.”

Smith, 38, of Willistown, is making her first run for elective office. A graduate of Temple University School of Law, she served as an assistant district attorney in the county District Attorney’s Office from 2012 to 2014 and now works for a Malvern law firm that specializes in commercial airline representation.

“I believe that it is time for me to put my solid legal, education, broad experience, and dedication to work for my community,” she said in her email. “I have a deep understanding of the way cases make their way through the legal system and the way one court’s decision on even seemingly minor procedural issues have unintended and lasting consequences.

“District court judges have an opportunity to do more than almost any other judges to show the community that the judiciary truly is a separate branch of government from lawmakers and law enforcement,” she wrote. “This is best achieved by elected district judges with broad legal experience rather than narrow experience in only one area of the law, such as law enforcement or criminal defense.”

MDJs, as they are referred to, earn annual salaries of $93,338 and serve six-year terms on the bench. Both Smith, a Democrat, and Tartaglio, a Republican, have cross-filed on both parties’ ballots.

Because they have both cross-filed, Smith or Tartaglio could guarantee themselves election in November should they come out ahead on both parties’ ballots on Tuesday, May 18.