Lacianca, the ‘People’s Court’ judge

To the Times:

“Being able to help solve problems in my community has always been the central purpose and continuing highlight of my personal life and professional career,” says lifelong Haverford Township resident Judge Lisa Lacianca who is up on Nov. 2 for a fourth six-year term as one of the township’s two Magisterial District Judges. “My 18 years on the bench has given me unique perspective and experience on how to best effectuate justice in our township. While friends have suggested that I strongly consider it, I have never sought higher judicial office such as a county Common Pleas Court judgeship because I love what I can only do at this level: working directly with people to help them solve their problems.

“I like to think of District Court as truly being the township’s very own ‘People’s Court’,” the judge says with a smile. “I could not think of a better and more productive way for me to pursue a career in the law.”

Judge Lacianca strives to treat every case — be it big or small — as if it were the most important one on her court’s docket that day, irrespective of the economic, social, educational, political, or any other personal status in the community of the parties before her. It is one of her core beliefs.

“I have always held and practiced that an independent and non-political judiciary is essential to living in and maintaining a strong and free democracy,” she says, “and that is why I have never sought to hold any political party office and have always cross filed for each of my four elections. I see my role as always seeking to be a problem solver first as opposed to a purveyor of punishment.”

In addition to the formal duties as an elected Magisterial District Judge both on her regular docket and when “on call” to handle legal emergencies that might come up at any time of the day or night, Judge Lacianca keeps busy with many other gratis volunteer activities to benefit the community that being a Judge makes her particularly well suited to do. Among her many past and/ or continuing activities to benefit the community at large are as a voluntary income tax preparer (VITA Program, Pathways), secretary with the Delaware County Women’s Commission, and many other similar activities as time permits in her busy life dedicated to public service.

For 18 years this life-long Haverford Township resident, wife, mom, community activist, volunteer, and problem solver has been one of its two Magisterial District Judges hearing and resolving the “minor” but individually oh-so-important cases of tens of thousands of her neighbors with wisdom, care, compassion, impartiality, and most important of all, good Judgement.

Haverford Township has been lucky to have Lisa Lacianca as our MDJ since 2004.

Now it is up to us to keep her for another six year term.

Bruce C. Cooper, Haverford