News

Campaign Spending a Focus: State Supreme Court Announces Special Commission on Judicial Campaigns

September 03, 1997

HARRISBURG, September 3, 1997 – Putting a cap on the skyrocketing cost of running for judge in Pennsylvania is among areas which will be explored by members of a special commission appointed by the state Supreme Court, it was announced today by Chief Justice John P. Flaherty. The commission will be headed by James F. Mundy of Philadelphia, immediate past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA). Others serving with Mundy are current PBA President Vincent J. Grogan of Pittsburgh; PBA President-Elect Leslie Anne Miller of Philadelphia; and PBA Past Presidents Thomas L. Cooper of Pittsburgh; H. Robert Fiebach of Philadelphia; Arthur L. Piccone of Wilkes-Barre; and Paul L. Stevens of Doylestown. In making the announcement, Chief Justice Flaherty said, "This commission reflects the Court's concern for the integrity of the system and the perceptual danger to that integrity due to the increasingly large amount of money involved in judicial elections. The commission, composed of present, past and future presidents of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is charged with making an in-depth study and providing recommendations." Chief Justice Flaherty said the commission was given a charge broad enough to allow members to study all facets of the state's judicial campaigns, but that the major focus would be on determining how to limit expenditures for positions that currently pay at most $122,864 per year (the salary of a state Supreme Court Justice). He said the commission's study would have no impact on the 1997 judicial elections. Reports from a number of counties reflect increasing costs of judicial campaigns in Pennsylvania. In 1995 two candidates for judge in Luzerne County spent $477,289 and $167,777 each, for a total of $645,066. That same year in Lackawanna County, two candidates spent a total of $777,974 ($350,472 and $427,502). In this year's primary race in Lackawanna County, the top three candidates reportedly spent a combined total of $600,000 in their quest to become judges. Costs of statewide appellate races also have escalated significantly in recent years. Noting the tentative deadline of January 1, 1998, for the commission to submit a report to the Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Court Administrator Nancy M. Sobolevitch said that the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts will cooperate in every way possible to facilitate the study. "Judicial candidates are among the last to adopt many of the sophisticated techniques long used by those seeking other elective offices," said Mundy. "With the advent of those techniques, including paid media advisers, slick electronic advertising, and the like, the pressure to raise ever greater campaign 'war chests' also increases. The fear is that without at least a look at campaign reforms now, a time could come in Pennsylvania when the entire reputation of the judiciary would suffer through a 'knock-down, drag-out fight.' "Involving the citizenry in our work is very important," Mundy continued, stressing the commission will be seeking non-lawyer input. "We want to see what ideas other people have, including getting input from legislators, jurists and other members of the bar through a series of public forums in October and November. Obviously, one of our mandates will be to consider experiences from other states to determine not only whether campaign caps are appropriate in Pennsylvania, but also how they might be implemented," said Mundy, a recognized proponent of reforming judgeship races.