JEFFERSON CO. (EYT) – On November 7, voters throughout the Commonwealth will cast their ballots for a new State Supreme Court Justice. Here’s your guide to the court and the candidates.
The state’s Supreme Court is a seven-member panel that has the final word on all legal questions on a state level whether criminal or civil. It is the oldest appellate court in the nation, with its founding dating back to 1684.
State Supreme Court Justices hear appeals from the Commonwealth’s two lower appellate courts—The Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court—though it can intervene in any case before any lower court at any time.
Pennsylvania is one of seven states that elect its Supreme Court justices. Each justice serves for a term of 10 years. There’s no limit to the number of terms they can serve, though the mandatory retirement age is 75. At the end of their term, they can either be retained or rejected with a yes or no vote. They rarely lose a retainer vote.
Currently comprised of four Democrats and two Republicans, this year’s race won’t decide the political leaning of the court, but it will fill a vacancy left by the October 2022 death of Chief Justice Max Baer, a Democrat.
Carolyn Carluccio (R)
According to her campaign website, Carluccio is the first female President Judge in the history of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. She also served as the first-ever female Chief Public Defender for Montgomery County where she managed a team of 35 staff and attorneys.
Carluccio earned a B.A. from Dickinson College and a J.D. from Widener University.
Carluccio’s term as a Common Pleas judge ends in 2029.
Daniel D. McCaffery (D)
According to his campaign website, McCaffery is a veteran of the United States Army where he served on active duty with the First Cavalry Division. He says he is currently the only military veteran serving on the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts.
McCaffery earned a bachelor’s degree from Temple University and later graduated with a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.
McCaffery term as a Superior Court judge ends in 2030.
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