Five vying for district judge in consolidated district
Roberto M. Esquivel|Herald-Standard
Richard A. Kasunic II (left), and George Stash II (right) answer questions at a recent Herald-Standard editorial board meeting moderated by Executive Editor Mark O’Keefe (center). Kaunic and Stash are two of five candidates vying for the position of magisterial district judge in the newly realigned district that includes the areas currently served by sitting Magisterial District Judges Jesse J. Cramer and Dwight K. Shaner.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Candidates for magisterial district judge debated the issues during a meeting with the Herald-Standard editorial board, moderated by Executive Editor Mark O’Keefe (second from left). The candidates included (from left) Jesse J. Cramer; Soni Shaner-Mancuso and Kenneth H. Jaynes.
Five candidates, including one longtime magisterial district judge and four newcomers, are vying for the position of district judge in a realigned district that currently is served by two judges.
The state Supreme Court recently ruled that Jesse J. Cramer’s district will be consolidated with the neighboring district of Magisterial District Judge Dwight K. Shaner, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 before the end of this year. Shaner has announced he will retire and not seek re-election.
All candidates cross-filed on the Democratic and Republican tickets to seek nomination in the May 21 primary.
The consolidated district will include Belle Vernon, Dawson, Dunbar, Everson, Fayette City, Newell, Perryopolis and Vanderbilt boroughs and Dunbar, Franklin, Jefferson, Lower Tyrone, Perry, Upper Tyrone and Washington townships.
Cramer, of Belle Vernon, is in his sixth term and would have run unopposed to retain his seat. However, because of the consolidation, he will face candidates who had planned to run for Shaner’s seat. The candidates who have filed to run are Dunbar residents Soni Shaner Mancuso, Richard A. Kasunic II, Kenneth Jaynes and George Stash II.
Cramer said he has ruled on 56,000 cases during his 30 years on the bench after being appointed to the post at the age of 23 by former state Gov. Richard Thornburgh, noting that he has “done the job” for decades and has the experience necessary to continue as judge in the coming years.
Jaynes is a Connellsville police detective lieutenant. He has worked for the FBI in Washington, D.C., and Clarksburg, W.Va., and with the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs. Additionally, he has served as public relations officer, school resource officer and as a member of the Western PA Auto Theft Task Force.
He said that he is running because his diverse background has given him a unique perspective that he believes will be an asset to the community, should he be elected.
“I have seen the impact of crime on people from all walks of life… I can make fair and just decisions,” Jaynes said.
Kasunic, a facility supervisor for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is the son of state Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, D-Dunbar. Kasunic has worked his way up through the ranks at the Pennsylvania Turnpike for 10 years, currently supervising the day-to-day operations for 14 tradesmen handling 42 turnpike facilities.
Kasunic said that he would rely on a “common-sense” approach to judging cases and that he would base all decisions on the facts and the law.
Shaner Mancuso, daughter of the retiring magisterial district judge Dwight Shaner, is a facilitator of court-mandated drug and alcohol classes for drunken driving offenders in Fayette County. Shaner Mancuso also has been a mental health provider for more than 12 years, and said that she would bring her knowledge of treatment programs and plans to the bench.
“I want to take it to the next level,” she said. “I know a lot of programs out there to hold people accountable.”
Stash has run Stash-scape, a landscaping and lawn business, for the past 14 years. He also volunteers with several area organizations, including Cub Scouts Pack 180 in Dunbar, the Bullskin Township Parent Teacher Organization and the Connellsville Area High School Class of 1995 reunion committee.
Stash said he would specifically focus on protecting children should he be elected and that he would bring a common-sense approach to the bench.
“I would help people learn to do what they need to do in order to keep their lives on track,” Stash said.