Nearly 200 members of the Chamber of Business and Industry and guests attended the Annual Judge’s Forum, organized by the CBICC and held at the Mountain View Country Club in Boalsburg.
The purpose of the breakfast meeting was to provide insights in the operation of the Court of Common Pleas in Center County. The session a look into into the backgrounds and philosophies of the county’s four judges. It was sponsored by the Babst Calland law firm and moderated by Maxine Ishler, Court Administrator.
The forum began with each of the justices introducing him-or herself and providing a glimpse into their backgrounds and responsibilities.
Centre County president Judge Tom Kistler began the session. Kistler was elected to the bench in 1997 when Centre County added a third judge. Today that number has risen to include a fourth judge.
“I think we are very efficient,” Kistler noted. “Especially considering that we had to manage the Sandusky and the Russian trial in the past year.”
In Kistler’s opinion, the county is not yet ready for a fifth judge. Though he expects the caseload to reach that level in the next few years. “Currently we are jacks of all trades,” he says.
Judge Bradley Lunsford, born and raised in Clearfield graduated from Duquesne University Law School and came to Centre County to join his future wife Susan.
Initially, Lunsford hoped to be a prosecutor, but took a job as a public defender, eventually moving on to the District Attorney’s office.
When Clifford Yorks retired, Lunsford was encouraged to run for District Justice and won the office.
“What really appealed to me about the job was that it’s very community oriented,” Lunsford says. He got involved in many different aspects of local justice, from alcohol abuse, truancy, and mediation. “You get to help people resolve their disputes. That’s healthy for the community and a great training ground for judge on the Court of Common Pleas.”
When Lunsford joined the court he became part of “a professional, innovative court. Judge Brown encouraged me to start a DUI court.”
Recent events led to the establishment of the Child Protective Safety Collaborative. “We are becoming far more aware of red flags in the community. And the Childhood Focused Advocacy Center we’ve created is a system that avoids embarrassing and frightening a child,” explains Lunsford. “It’s a community resource for therapy and awareness that is opening doors and showing how the community has really come together.”
Judge Pam Ruest grew up in Connecticut and received her law degree from the University Of Connecticut.
“I came here in 1988 and spent 10 years working for McQuaide Blasko attorneys, “ Ruest says. That was followed by 21 years with several law firms practicing family law.
“We have a very caring, innovative group of judges,” she states. “I am involved in Children’s Round Table, state wide. There are also roundtable groups regionally and locally. We want to help the foster care system operate successfully.” In addition, Ruest is involved in a statewide Ethics Committee and the Centre County Prison Board.
The newest member of the court is Judge Jonathan Grine.
A native of Bellefonte, Grine served as District Justice In State College Borough for eight years before joining the Court of Common Pleas. “I replaced my father. I handle appeals from the District Courts. We are currently looking into a mental health court to see if it is feasible in Centre County.”
Following the introductions, the floor was opened for questions.
- Does restorative justice practices play a role in Centre County?
Yes, because they seek a successful resolution for the victim of a crime.
“I look at it as trying to change behavior,” says Lunsford. “We need to move away from a punitive court and hold people accountable as well as provide therapeutic services to take broken individuals and restore then as productive individuals. These courts really are changing people’s lives.”
- How do you feel about mandatory sentencing?
“We hate it,” says a candid Lunsford. Ruest agrees. “We have a problem with mandatory sentencing,” says Ruest. “It is a really important issue and there’s not a lot we can do about it.”
“Each case should stand on it own merits,” says Kistler. “Treating everyone the same seems fair, but is it? We don’t think so. It’s predictable, comfortable and legislators get to say they’ve done something about crime. They love it.”
The Centre County judges are all working on a variety of programs that are aimed at improving the quality of life for all county citizens. Some of these include programs to deal with domestic violence (a serious problem in the county); reducing recidivism; a mental health court; continued growth of the DUI court; combating the influx of hard drugs, expected to increase over the next few years. “We have been protected from it, but we are becoming more susceptible to outside influences,” Lunsford says.
In-home detention and GPS monitors are being explored as alternatives to incarceration. The GPS system will notify the victim that an offender comes within a certain distance. That will allow the victim to implement a safety plan.
One thing that is evident: There is a great deal of mutual trust and respect between the majority of Centre County residents and their judges.
Handling more than 3,000 cases each year, the four judges believe many of the programs that are now being considered or set in place will deal with the root causes of crime, including mental health and substance abuse.
