| Greetings,
Last week, I filed nominating petitions to run for judge of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. It was not an easy decision because I truly love my job as State Representative. However, my work in the legislature combined with my legal education and my career focus on child welfare have led me to believe I can bring a unique perspective to the court and directly impact the lives of children and their families. If I am successful, I will vacate my seat in the Pennsylvania House late this year. Until that time, I will vigorously tend to my duties as State Representative. A different kind of attorney My path to the judiciary is different from most judges. Often lawyers who run for judge come from backgrounds as prosecutors or corporate attorneys from big law firms. I have not been that kind of attorney. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I attended Rutgers Law School with the intention of practicing law in the public interest. I began my career as a public interest attorney serving as the Director of a legal aid clinic in New Mexico representing mostly indigent clients. When I returned home to Pennsylvania where I wanted to raise my children, I volunteered to provide legal representation to children in the foster care system and did administrative work with the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Later, I worked as a child abuse investigator maintaining my focus on child welfare. In the legislature, I enhanced my legal knowledge researching, writing and voting on the laws of the Commonwealth. The Governor appointed me to the Juvenile Justice Task Force, and I currently serve on the House Judiciary Committee — again, unique experiences allowing me to bring important points of view to the courts. You know who I am Oftentimes voters do not have a good sense of who judicial candidates are. Lawyers coming from private practice, business or government service are not widely known in the community. Judicial candidates are not allowed to talk about issues or cases that may come before them. However, who I am and what I stand for is a matter of public record. I have an extensive voting record and have written and published my opinions on many topics. You may have received my emails, know about me from my on-line presence or met me at an event or at your doorstep. I have the bill that seeks to codify Roe v. Wade in Pennsylvania law. I earned the title of Pennsylvania Environmental Champion from Conservation Voters. In my legislative races, I have been endorsed by Cease Fire PA, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Moms Demand Action, PSEAPACE, Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, AFL-CIO, SEIU State Council and many more. My work as a legislator gives voters a clear picture of the perspective I will bring to the bench. Independent thinker Although I am a lifelong Democrat, I am an independent thinker not bound to blind partisan loyalty. A judge must maintain independence. That is why I did not seek the Democratic Party endorsement. To me, the endorsement process in this multi-candidate field was divisive and confusing. I think it is better to let the Democratic voters choose who they want to be their Democratic candidates. I look forward to sharing more about me and my candidacy throughout the next eight weeks. In the meantime, there are big things happening in Harrisburg with our new Democratic majority in the House. I will be keeping in touch with information and opinions. Thanks for reading, Kristine Feel free to share or post this message. |