Q&A with Kate Lovelace, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-2-31

When I see data about percentages of people with mental health conditions in the jail, I always shake my head because if you didn’t have a mental health condition on the way in, you will on the way out. Allegheny County Jail is not a safe place for our community and if Magistrates aren’t watching […]

Q&A With Hilary Wheatley Taylor, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge for District 05-2-19

HIlary Wheatley Taylor

But from that experience comes a perspective that can only benefit those that might come before me as Magistrate: I’ll approach each person as more than their worst day or worst choice or most shameful story.  I know first hand that we are all more than any one of those things and we deserve a […]

Q&A With Raymond Robinson, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-02-42

Raymond Robinson

My work with youth showed me how the experiences of different groups vary even when engaging in similar behaviors. I have seen how young girls are often treated more harshly by paternalistic judges than male counterparts.  Similarly, I’ve seen how the experiences of black youth look drastically different than white youth regarding behaviors in schools. […]

Does it Matter if a Mayor or District Magistrate Will Perform Same Sex Marriages?

There’s been some furor lately in the electoral race for an East End magisterial judge seat. Incumbent Judge Dan Butler is under scrutiny for not performing marriages – he doesn’t perform any marriages. The tricky part is that he belongs to a socially conservative Jewish congregation that defines marriage as between a man and a […]