Q&A with Weldianne Scales, Candidate for Magistrate District Judge 05-2-08

The biggest challenge of getting real justice for LGBTQ+ community members is to have judges who are culturally competent and lack bigotry. Judges need to use proper names and pronouns, of course, but judges also need to understand, and to be willing to understand, the particular problems and needs of members of this community, and […]

Q&A with Rachel Rosnick, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-2-31

The banning and/or criminalization of gender-affirming healthcare, reproductive healthcare, trans youth’s participation in sports, and forms of self-expression, such as drag, are hugely important right now. While these attacks are being primarily advanced through the legislature, any expansion of existing criminal codes as well as any arrests made during demonstrations against such legislation will be […]

Q&A with Giuseppe GC Rosselli, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-3-02

A culturally competent leader is informed to understand the underlying causes of behavior and driven to  provide the individual with the resources and opportunity to improve and be a better version of themselves. Conversely, a culturally competent leader is also able to identify public shortcomings that affect marginalized communities and the courage to educate when appropriate.  The next post […]

Q&A with Philip Roberts, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-2-31

I am committed to hosting legal educational series from this court. We can have clinics and workshops on landlord tenant law, livable housing conditions, expungements, traffic law, gun law, bail, and other legal subject matter. As we raise legal literacy in our community, we will see less people taken advantage of and less people having […]

Why I Won’t Allow Leah William Duncan to Complete my Campaign Q&A

Leah Williams Duncan

For transparency sake, I want to explain that I have turned down a request by a candidate for Magistrate here on the Northside. Her name is Leah Williams Duncan.   Dear Ms. Williams Duncan, I have received your request to complete a Q&A for my blog, Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents. I must decline. In 2013 while […]

Q&A with Judge Derwin Rushing, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 5-2-40

Judge Derwin Rushing

I have virtually eliminated cash bail from my practice and doing so only in extenuating circumstances to protect the safety of the community or ensure court appearance. The variables in each and every criminal arrest are too involved to discuss here, but it cannot be denied that in using cash bail, those without cash are […]