Dan Cirucci: Phiila. Bar Ass'n. Announces Judicial Ratings

Monday, March 30, 2015

Phiila. Bar Ass'n. Announces Judicial Ratings

Albert S. Dandridge III, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, today announced the first round of results of the Association’s investigation into the qualifications of candidates for judicial office in the May 19 primary election. The investigation was conducted by the Association’s Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.

Dandridge noted there are two significant upgrades to the process this year, the first is a newly added “Highly Recommended” rating and the second is the inclusion of rating Appellate Court candidates. Dandridge said that the ratings announced today provide the results for candidates on the ballot, who submitted to the Association’s evaluation process by the Bar’s announced deadline of December 5, 2014. He added that the list of “Highly Recommended,” “Recommended” and “Not Recommended” candidates is still incomplete due to the high volume of investigations. Additional names and ratings will be announced as investigations are completed on the remaining candidates.

“We are delighted to now offer a ‘Highly Recommended’ category to help better inform the public of extraordinary candidates who are considered preeminent in the profession,” Dandridge said. “Voters are encouraged to learn more about this new category and view the entire ratings list by visiting our website at www.philadelphiabar.org,” Dandridge said. He added that the Association wants voters to know why the judicial elections are so important and why the Association and Commission invest so much time and energy in thoroughly reviewing and rating these candidates. “This is the one place for voters to find a comprehensive, non-partisan, objective rating of the candidates.”

The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-partisan. It includes lawyers and non-lawyers. Among the members of the Commission are community leaders, officials including the Chief Public Defender, City Solicitor, and the President Judges of Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, and representatives of minority legal groups and various sections of the Bar.

The ratings by the 30-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study and investigation by the Commission’s own 140-member investigative division, which includes 30 non-lawyer members. Candidates found “Recommended” satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability, experience, integrity, temperament, community involvement and judgment. Candidates found “Highly Recommended” are extraordinary individuals who, in addition to meeting the “Recommended” criteria, are preeminent in the profession, exceptionally skilled in the law, possess a reputation for the utmost integrity and significantly will enhance or have enhanced the quality of the judiciary.

“This has been a record year for the Commission,” said Commission Chair A. Harold Datz. “The Commission will complete nearly 60 evaluations of candidates for the 15 open seats on Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, which has been an enormous undertaking, involving hundreds of interviews by the investigative division and careful review, consideration and deliberation by the Commission. We appreciate all of the hard work of the Commission.”

The following judicial candidate was found “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” for election to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania:

Anne E. Lazarus Highly Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Abbe F. Fletman Highly Recommended

Christopher Peter Mallios, Jr. Highly Recommended

Kai N. Scott Highly Recommended

The following judicial candidate was found “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” for election to Municipal Court:

Christopher Peter Mallios, Jr. Highly Recommended

The following judicial candidate was found “RECOMMENDED” for election to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania:

Kevin M. Dougherty Recommended

The following judicial candidate was found “RECOMMENDED” for election to Superior Court:

Alice Beck Dubow Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found “RECOMMENDED” for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

James F. Berardinelli Recommended

Lucretia Clemons Recommended

James C. Crumlish, III Recommended

Michael Fanning Recommended

Vincent Giusini Recommended

Daine A. Grey, Jr. Recommended

Anthony George Kyriakakis Recommended

Thomas Martin Recommended

Christopher I. McCabe Recommended

Vincent Melchiorre Recommended

Brian T. Ortelere Recommended

Ourania Papademetriou Recommended

Kenneth James Powell, Jr. Recommended

Stella Ming Tsai Recommended

Betsy Jo Wahl Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found “RECOMMENDED” for election to Municipal Court:

Michael Fanning Recommended

Vincent Giusini Recommended

Roger Gordon Recommended

Matthew Kent Perks Recommended

Joffie C. Pittman Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found “NOT RECOMMENDED” for election to the Court of Common Pleas:

Franklin A. Bennett, III Not Recommended

Deborah D. Cianfrani Not Recommended

Scott DiClaudio Not Recommended

Vincent W. Furlong Not Recommended

Sharon Williams Losier Not Recommended

Edward W. Louden, Jr. Not Recommended

Jon Marshall Not Recommended

Tracy Brandeis Roman Not Recommended

Zachary C. Shaffer Not Recommended

Dawn M. Tancredi Not Recommended

The following judicial candidates, listed alphabetically, were found “NOT RECOMMENDED” for election to Municipal Court:

Franklin A. Bennett, III Not Recommended

Christian DiCicco Not Recommended

Sharon Williams Losier Not Recommended

Tracy Roman Not Recommended

Gary S. Silver Not Recommended

Additional names and ratings will be announced soon. The full list of ratings should be available toward the beginning of May.

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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