Jack Panella
| Jack Panella | |
 | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| Pennsylvania Superior Court | |
| Title: | Judge |
| Service: | |
| Active: | 1993-2013 |
| Past position: | Northampton County Court of Common Pleas Judge |
| Past term: | 1991-2003 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1955 |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Bachelors: | St. John's University, 1977 |
| Law School: | Catholic University, 1980 |
| Candidate 2013: | |
| Candidate for: | Pennsylvania Superior Court |
| Position: | Retention |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Election information 2013: | |
| Incumbent: | Yes |
| Election date: | 11/5/2013 |
Contents |
Jack A. Panella is a judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. He was elected to the court in November 2003, effective January 9, 2004. His current term expires in December of 2013.[1][2]
2013 election
Panella is running for retention in 2013.[3]
- See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2013
Education
Panella received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University in 1977. He received his law degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1980. [4]
Professional career
- Administrative Judge for Wiretap & Electronic Surveillance in Pennsylvania
- Trial judge with the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas (October 1991 - December 31, 2003)
- Served as an Administrative Judge for Asbestos Litigation
- Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Michael V. Franciosa
- Assistant County Solicitor for Northampton County, 1982-1987
- Judge on the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, 1997-2001.
- Author, The Pennsylvania Sexual Violence Benchbook, which was published in December 2007. [1][5]
- Author, The Pennsylvania Benchbook on Crimes of Sexual Violence, Magisterial District Court Edition, published in January 2011 [6]
Awards and Associations
- Chairman, Judicial Conduct Board
- President judge, Court of Judicial Discipline [4]
Supreme Court bid
- For the latest election news please visit Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections.
Panella ran for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the state's 2009 partisan elections. He ran as a Democrat and was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. [7] He lost the election to Republican candidate Joan Orie Melvin who earned 53.2% to Panella's 46.8%. [8]
Campaign fund-raising
- Full fund-raising report here.
Panella reported raising $1.17 million from the beginning of 2009 through September 14. His largest contributors were organized labor and trial lawyers [9] with his biggest single donation of $500,000 coming from the Committee for a Better Tomorrow. [10] Between September 14 and the end of October, 2009, Panella received an additional $500,000 from the Committee for a Better Tomorrow, the political action committee maintained by the Philadelphia trial bar attorneys, which brought total contributions from the group to $1 million. [11]
Stance on judicial corruption
In a video Judge Panella discusses his experience as a member of the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board and the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline. The judge supports expanding the rights of law enforcement including the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General to investigate judicial corruption and misconduct. Over previous years Pennsylvania had been rocked by ethics scandals in which three former state judges have pleaded guilty to criminal misconduct on the bench and were sentenced to time in prison. [12]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biography of Jack Panella from the Superior Court website
- ↑ Biography of Judge Panella from the Pennsylvania Courts website
- ↑ CBS Local, "Pennsylvania Primary: One Statewide Race But Many Local Races", April 20, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Erie Times News "Pa. Supreme Court justice candidate says courts should maintain independence, integrity", October 14, 2009
- ↑ Pennsylvania Sexual Violence Benchbook
- ↑ Pennsylvania Benchbook on Crimes of Sexual Violence
- ↑ Lehigh Valley Live, "Judge Jack Panella will be lone Democrat for Supreme Court seat in Pennsylvania", March 9, 2009
- ↑ 2009 Municipal Election Results
- ↑ Associated Press "Panella leads in fundraising for Pa. high court", September 22, 2009
- ↑ Philadelphia Daily News "John Baer: Are you voting for Panella or Melvin? Who? For what?", October 19, 2009
- ↑ Capitol Ideas "Orie Melvin: "Pay to Play" In Rival Panella's Courtroom.", October 26, 2009
- ↑ "Vote Jack Panella" Philadelphia Inquirer Questionnaire, September 9, 2009
