Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Green Party candidate Jules Mermelstein, whose name was omitted from an earlier version.

The nine men and women who will square off in the November election for spots as judges on the Pennsylvania Superior Court bring wide and varied experience to what promises to be a competitive race.

Four Democrats, four Republicans and one Green Party candidate are in the running for the four open positions in the Superior Court, which consists of 15 judges who hear appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas in most criminal and civil cases, as well as in family law matters.

The Superior Court handled nearly 8,000 appeals during 2016, court records show, and about 60 percent of those cases were criminal. The judges review the actions of the lower courts to determine whether the courts acted within the law and act to correct any errors.

Five of the candidates currently serve as Common Pleas judges in counties across the state; one is a district attorney, one serves as a magisterial district judge. one is a sitting Superior Court judge and one is an attorney.

The Republican Superior Court candidates are: Emil Giordano, a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County; Wade A. Kagarise, a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Blair County; Mary Murray, a magisterial district judge in Allegheny County; and Craig Stedman, district attorney of Lancaster County. 

The Democrats running for Superior Court are: Deborah Kunselman, a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County; Maria McLaughlin, a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia; Geoff Moulton of Montgomery County, who is serving on the Superior Court after being appointed in 2016; and Carolyn H. Nichols, a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia.

The Green Party candidate is Jules Mermelstein. He is a Montgomery County attorney and has served as an Upper Dublin Township commissioner.

All are recommended or highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association except for Ms. Murray and Mr. Mermelstein, who are not recommended because of failure to participate.

Ms. Murray said Wednesday that she feels making the jump from working in the magisterial district courts to an appellate court would allow her to bring a fresh, boots-on-the-ground approach to Superior Court.

“I have a grassroots perspective,” she said. “I see the concerns of everyday citizens, and I see how things are actually done and processed.”

Fellow Republican candidate Mr. Stedman and Democratic candidate Ms. Nichols also touted their unique backgrounds as advantages in the race.

If elected, Mr. Stedman said he will be the only Superior Court judge who previously served as an elected district attorney.

“You have an appeals court where most of what they do is criminal law, and you don’t have people who spent their careers doing what I did,” he said. “I’ve devoted my entire career to safety and fighting for people’s safety.”

Ms. Nichols said her years on the bench as a Common Pleas Judge in Philadelphia coupled with her life experiences as a black woman would bring an important perspective to the Superior Court.

“We need different viewpoints,” she said. “A judge brings his or her values, experiences and background when interpreting the law, and it’s important for the appellate court to be representative of the people it serves.”

Several candidates noted that the Superior Court is one of the busiest appellate courts in the country and spoke of the challenge presented by such a high volume of cases.

“I’d want to streamline my decisions and make them as quickly as possible while being thorough,” said Ms. Kunselman, who has spent 12 years as a Common Pleas judge. “That’s a complaint that you often hear from lawyers and parties — that it takes so long when your cases are appealed.”

Mr. Moulton, the only candidate who currently serves as a Superior Court judge, said the volume of cases can be difficult.

“It requires someone who is smart and a quick study, but also someone who is willing to work hard,” he said. “For the people involved in the case, their case is the most important case there is. And they’re entitled to judges who are going to take the time necessary to understand their case and their positions before making a ruling.”

He added that voters can review the work he has done since he was appointed as a Superior Court judge in 2016.

Mr. Kagarise said he intends to rely on his varied legal experience to make such careful but quick decisions if he is elected as a judge.

“As a prosecutor for 15 years, I handled every type of case imaginable,” he said. “From disorderly conduct to murder. And now as a Common Pleas judge in a jurisdiction like Blair County, I do a little bit of everything.”

Mr. Giordano said he would rely on a strict interpretation of state law if elected to the court.

“My approach is to follow the law,” he said. “It’s my opinion that it’s a judge’s job to strictly interpret the law and if you want to change or rewrite the law, you should be running for the Legislature or Congress.”

Ms. McLaughlin pointed to both her record as a Common Pleas judge and her work ethic as reasons why she is ready to handle the demands of a Superior Court judge.

“I’ve never missed a day of work,” she said. “Not once. I’ve never called in sick. And the thing I’m most proud of is I’ve never had a decision overturned.”

Mr. Mermelstein said he is running to counter corruption in the judiciary and because “we need judges who are independent of the Democrats and Republicans.” 

He said there is a need to get the message out on judges who are doing there jobs well. “I have two suggestions,” he said in an email. “One is to allow cameras in the courtroom, closely regulated by the court so that it does not become a circus. The second is that judges should be (and I pledge to do so if elected) going to community and student groups to explain how the system works.

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In addition, Judge Jackie Shogan of Superior Court is up for retention. She has been rated Recommended for Retention by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Shelly Bradbury: 412-263-1999, sbradbury@post-gazette.com or follow @ShellyBradbury on Twitter.

First Published: October 23, 2017, 3:17 p.m.
Updated: October 26, 2017, 12:43 p.m.