Giordano backed for Superior Court
Too often voters have little, if any, knowledge of the background and qualifications of candidates for positions on Pennsylvania’s appellate courts. Among the reasons for that are the high cost of running a statewide campaign and the limited time and resources of many judicial candidates, especially those who are already serving as judges.
I recently had the privilege of meeting with Judge Emil Giordano, a candidate for Superior Court, and want to share what I learned about his background and his experience as an attorney and a common pleas court judge.
Judge Giordano’s parents emigrated to this country from Italy in the 1950s. They both initially worked in factories and eventually started a successful family pizza shop business. The judge worked with his parents on a part-time basis in that business until he graduated from law school.
Judge Giordano had broad experience as a practicing attorney, which included work as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney in criminal cases, and as both a plaintiffs’ attorney and a defense attorney in civil cases. He also represented a number of municipalities in Northampton County, where he practiced.
His experience as a practicing attorney prepared him well for a position on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County. The political demographics of that county are similar to those in Fayette County and his election as a common pleas court judge proves that voters of both parties in his county recognized his ability and experience.
Judge Giordano has been a hard working trial judge for 13 years and has handled all types of cases, civil and criminal. Among other endorsements, he is being supported in this election by the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and the local Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police in his community. Although judicial candidates cannot indicate how they would rule on specific issues or cases that might come before them and Judge Giordano has honored that rule. I have concluded that Judge Giordano’s judicial philosophy is, and will continue to be, to strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.
In my opinion, Judge Giordano has the ideal qualifications for a position on the Supreme Court. I hope that voters in this county and in surrounding counties will compare his qualifications with those of his opponent and reach the same conclusion as I have – Judge Giordano should be elected to a position on the Superior Court!
Ernest P. DeHaas is a Uniontown attorney with the law firm of Radcliffe and DeHaas.