Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – February 15, 2007. The Allegheny County Bar Association Judiciary Committee has interviewed and rated the following individuals over the past 5 years. The ratings are valid for a period of 5 years.
This list of candidates does not include the ratings of individuals who have received a rating of “Not Recommended at this Time” or “Unqualified”. After the Pa Department of State releases the list of candidates who are officially running for the various judgeships, the Bar Association will update this page to include all candidate ratings, including those who may have a “Not Recommended at this Time” or “Unqualified” rating.
The people on this list may not be running for any current judicial position but have come before the Judiciary Committee to be rated should they some day seek a seat on the bench of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas or the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts.
In the 2007 Pennsylvania Primary Elections, voters will be selecting candidates for the following judicial positions. Two (2) Pa. Supreme Court Justices, Two (2) Judges on the Pa. Superior Court and four (4) Judges on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
| NAME | RATED |
| Hon. Cheryl L. Allen | Highly Recommended * |
| Hon. Cynthia A. Baldwin | Highly Recommended |
| Hon. Maureen Lally-Green | Highly Recommended |
| Hon. Debra McCloskey Todd | Highly Recommended |
* The Committee’s rating of any person shall apply only for
the particular court or judicial office for which the person has appeared
before the Committee as a candidate, with the following exceptions:
a rating by the Committee for a candidate for the position of Justice
of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania shall apply to that person’s
candidacy for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth
Court of Pennsylvania.
SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
| Name | RATED |
| Hon. Cynthia A. Baldwin | Highly Recommended |
| Hon. Ronald W. Folino | Highly Recommended |
| James E. Mahood | Highly Recommended |
| John R. McGinley | Highly Recommended |
| Templeton Smith, Jr. | Highly Recommended |
| Christine L. Donohue | Recommended |
| Jacqueline O. Shogun | Recommended |
COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNYSLVANIA
Charles P. McCullough Recommended
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
Highly Recommended
Anthony J. Basinski, Esquire
Ann Lee Begler, Esquire
Daniel E. Butler, Esquire
Laura Ann Ditka, Esquire
John Elash, Esquire
Charles E. Evans, Esquire
Eric A. Fisher, Esquire
Mark R. Hornak, Esquire
George M. Janocsko, Esquire
Michelle H. Lally, Esquire
James E. Mahood, Esquire
John R. McGinley, Jr., Esquire
John T. McVay, Jr., Esquire
Jon Pushinsky, Esquire
Timothy J. Schweers, Esquire
Roger L. Wise, Esquire
Recommended
Ronald D. Barber, Esquire
Cathleen Cawood Bubash, Esquire
Frank L. Cecchetti, Esquire
Daniel F. Cusick, Esquire
John P. Davis, III, Esquire
Diana F. DeAngelis, Esquire
David J. Defazio, Esquire
Arnold I. Klein, Esquire
John L. Kwasneski, Esquire
James H. Logan, Esquire
Cynthia M. Maleski, Esquire
Michael E. McCarthy, Esquire
Charles P. McCullough, Esquire
Patricia A. McCullough, Esquire
Hugh F. McGough, Esquire
Jacqueline R. Morrow, Esquire
Shirley Novak, Esquire
Sumner L. Parker, Esquire
William T. Simmons, Esquire
Templeton Smith, Jr., Esquire
Harlan S. Stone, Esquire
Jesse A. Torisky, Esquire
Wrenna L. Watson, Esquire
Joseph K. Williams, Esquire
Each candidate is evaluated by the Judiciary Committee of the Allegheny
County Bar Association in the areas of temperament, experience in
the field of law, academic achievement, honesty and integrity, reputation,
general community interest and contributions to the profession.
The 24-member Judiciary Committee is elected at large by the 6,500-member Bar Association.
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