Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia
What does this court do?
The Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, like other Courts of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania, is the “general trial” court. It also hears appeals from the Municipal Court. The Court of Common Pleas has approximately 90-100 judges who are divided between the Trial Division, Family Division (including the Juvenile Branch), and Orphans’ Division (including Estate Law). Court of Common Pleas judges serve for 10 year terms.
The candidates – choose up to 9
The candidates are listed in the order they appear on the ballot, to make the Guide easier to use in the ballot booth. What do the columns in the table all mean? They are explained here.
The disciplinary records of the candidates … are clean! We searched for the candidates in the Commonwealth of PA’s records of disciplinary proceedings against both lawyers and judges, and we are happy and proud to say that we found nothing regarding this year’s candidates for any court on the Philadelphia ballot.
Suggestions? Corrections? Omissions? Questions? Please let us know now, while you’re motivated. We always want to find ways to help more people to be more informed when they vote for judges, and this is only the Guide’s first election.
| Name | Experience | Phila Bar Assoc ratings | NLG - Phila rating (progressive) (5 is highest) | Learn more: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stella Tsai (Dem) | - Judge, Court of Common Pleas (Phila.) (appointed 2016) - Archer & Greiner law firm - Counsel to the Phila. Civil Service Commission - Dept Chair, City of Phila. Law Dept - Christie, Pabarue law firm - Board member, Community College of Phila. - Board member, Zoning Code Commission - Significant professional recognition - Penn Law School, 1988 | Recommended | 5 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Vikki Kristiansson (Dem) | - AEquitas - training on rape, domestic violence, human trafficking within the justice system - Prosecutor & Deputy, NJ Office of Attorney General - human trafficking - Prosecutor, Phila. District Attorney's Office - sexual violence - Extensive involvement w/ organizations addressing sexual violence - Temple Law, 2003 | Recommended | None | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Deborah Cianfrani (Dem) | - General practice law firm: personal injury, legal transactions. Frequently represents community orgs - Public defender, 1990-1998 - Western New England School of Law, 1990 | Not recommended | None | • Website |
| John Macoretta (Dem) | - Spector, Roseman law firm: Class action antitrust & fraud, volunteer with homeowners facing foreclosure - University of Texas Law School with honors, 1990 | Recommended | None | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Rania Major (Dem) | - General practice law firm: criminal defense, personal injury - Extensive participation in law & community orgs - Cumberland School of Law, 1987 | Not recommended | 1 | • Website |
| Henry M. Sias (Dem) | - Co-founder, Phila. Lawyers for Social Equity - Law practice: primarily appellate, civil rights & immigration law - Blank Rome law firm - Yale Law School, 2005 - Of note - would be first trans judicial candidate in Phila. | Recommended | 5 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Lawrence J. Bozzelli (Dem) | - Law practice: primarily criminal defense - Prosecutor, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - Temple Law, 1999 | Recommended | 1 | • Website |
| Vincent Furlong (Dem & GOP) | - Judge, Court of Common Pleas (Phila.) (appointed 2016) - Juvenile Master, Phila. Family Court - Prosecutor, Phila. District Attorney's Office - Deputy, PA Attorney General's Office - General practice law firm - Delaware (now Widener) Law School | Recommended | None | • Website |
| Brian McLaughlin (Dem) | - Law practice - criminal defense - Prosecutor, Phila. District Attorney's Office - Widener Law School, 1995 | Recommended | 3 | |
| Shanese Johnson (Dem) | - Law practice - primarily family law - Member of many law & community boards & organizations - Temple Law, 1995 | Not recommended | None | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Mark B. Cohen (Dem) | - PA State Representative: 1974-2016 - Majority Caucus Leader in PA House - M.B.A. Lebanon Valley College, 2000 - Widener School of Law, 1993 | Not recommended | 3 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Daniel R. Sulman (Dem) | - Judge, Court of Common Pleas (Phila.) (appointed 2016) - Domestic Relations Master, Phila. Family Court - Former Democratic committeeperson - Member of many law organizations - Temple Law. 2000 | Recommended | 3.5 | • Website |
| Leon Goodman (Dem) | - Law practice - primarily criminal defense & mental health issues - Prosecutor, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - Adjunct professor, Temple Law School - Villanova Law School, 1995 - LL.M. Temple Law | Recommended | 2 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Deborah Canty (Dem) | - Director of Quality Assurance & Corporate Compliance, ChildFirst Services - City Solicitor's Office, representing City of Phila. Dept of Human Services - Montgomery McCracken law firm - Temple Law, 2000 - Master of Social Work, U. of Penn, 1996 | Recommended | 1 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Wendi Barish (Dem) | - Deputy General Counsel, Phila. Housing Authority - Weber Gallagher law firm - civil rights & employment law - Margolis Edelstein law firm - Law Offices of Thomas More Holland - Hofstra Law School, 1996 | Recommended | 4 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Leonard Deutchman (Dem) | - Co-founder of KrolLDiscovery - electronic discovery & computer forensics services - Prosecutor, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - expertise in wiretaps, complex fraud, cybercrime - Rutgers (Newark) School of Law, 1985 - Ph.D. in English Literature, U. California (Berkeley), 1982 | Recommended | 2 | • Website |
| Zac Shaffer (Dem) | - Law practice - primarily criminal defense & disciplinary hearings - Temple Law, 2008 | Recommended | 4 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Jennifer Schultz (Dem) | - Lawyer for Community Legal Services, 2005 - present: predatory lending, consumer rights, homeownership - Law Clerk for a U.S. District Court Judge - Cornell Law School, 2003 | Recommended | 4.5 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Vincent Melchiorre (Dem) | - Judge, Court of Common Pleas (Phila.) (appointed 2014 & 2016 by Gov's Corbett and Wolf) - General law practice - personal injury, commercial litigation, real estate - Board member, Phila. Federal Credit Union - Delaware (now Widener) Law School,1983 | Not recommended | 4 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Jon Marshall (Dem) | - MBA from Drexel - Temple Law | Recommended | None | |
| David Conroy (Dem) | - Law practice - criminal defense & personal injury - Prosecutor, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - Widener Law School, 1994 | Recommended | None | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Mark J. Moore (Dem) | - Law practice - insurance defense - Prosecutor, Phila. District Attorney's Office - Degree in Trial Advocacy, Temple Law - Villanova Law School, 1998 | Recommended | None | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Danyl S. Patterson (Dem) | - General law practice - civil, criminal & family law - Extensive participation in community organizations - Degree in Trial Advocacy, Temple Law, 2004 - Villanova School of Law, 2000 | Not recommended | None | • Website |
| Terri M. Booker (Dem) | - General practice lawyer - Clerical Aide, Register of Wills, City of Philadelphia - Active in many community organizations - Pace Law School, 2010 | Not recommended | None | • Website |
| Lucretia C. Clemons (Dem) | - Judge, Court of Common Pleas (Phila.) (appointed 2016) - Ballard Spahr law firm: corporate diversity management - Significant professional recognition - Temple Law cum laude, 1999 - Master's degree in diversity management, New York University 1996 | Recommended | 5 | • Website • PhillyJudges questionnaire |
| Crystal B. Powell (Dem) | - Law practice: family law, child custody - Counsel, Phila. Housing Authority - Villanova Law School | Not recommended | None | • Website |
| Bill Rice (Dem) | - Law Clerk, Phila. Court of Common Pleas - Delaware (now Widener) Law School | Not recommended | None |