font-weight: bold; According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the recount effort in Berks was part of a statewide attempt by supporters of failed gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano to flood Pennsylvania courts with petitions seeking to force hand recounts. .clearfix { !'#))'#&%,1?5,. We are glad to see that the honorable court upheld the rule of law and did not abide by conspiracy theories, he said. He also pointed out that the county provided the Berks County Republican Committee with the statutorily required notice to attend the logic and accuracy testing of the voting machines, which is a process designed specifically to ensure they are functioning correctly. vertical-align: top; color: white; .widget-row.value-only.black { Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas display: inline-block; An order from Judge James Lillis was handed down Tuesday, Dec. 6, to the parties involved. .widget-row.Green { She covers county government as well as policy issues at the state and federal level with a local focus. width: 250px; Pennsylvania Superior Court James M. Lillis. There is not a requirement of evidentiary background.. This Judge has no current records to disclose. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { (610) 678-5393 Fax. The Committee made four motions in the petitions: 1. In particular, Wallace wrote, the committee did not file petitions for each precinct in the county where votes were cast for the two races in question and they did not provide evidence that a particular act of fraud or error occurred. in English from Immaculata College and her J.D. James M. Lillis Berks County Court of Common Pleas. It says the petitioners failed to plead and verify specific acts of fraud or error, while not asking for a recount of all votes cast for the office in question across the county. Madelyn S. Fudeman. The petitions were filed under a little-known provision of state election law that allows a precincts results to be recounted if three voters from the precinct pay $50 and file a petition in county court saying they believe fraud or error occurred there. Honorable James M. Lillis Court of Common Pleas of Berks County Berks County Services Center 633 Court Street Reading, PA 19601 phone: 610-478-6208: Berks County 23 . Berks County expects a firm judge, but they also expect a fair judge. During an hour-long hearing in front of Berks County Judge James Lillis, attorneys representing the county and Berks County Republican Committee laid out their reasons for why. 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He said that if a specific accusation is not levied, petitions have to be filed in all 202 precincts for a recount to be granted. As Petitioners did not satisfy either requirement, the Court affirms Common Pleas order, Wallace wrote in her 26-page ruling. Committee officials have said they filed the petitions after receiving complaints from some voters that voting machines were changing votes cast for Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate to ones for the Democratic candidates. background-color: #f9f9f9; [2] Lash is a world class Frisbee thrower. It says the petitioners failed to "plead and verify . I am running for Judge because now more than ever we need Judges who understand the complexities of the times we live in, the difficulties that people face in their lives and the struggles that affect families especially our children. .infobox p { } Both sides had a chance last week to make their cases in county court. Judge Barrett's ARD In an effort to streamline upcoming ARD Court; all required documents and forms, as well as instructions in their use, are provided in this section of the website. Judge Lillis's Court; ARD DUI Rules; CRN Information; Court Documents; Probation Contact Information; Internships; DUS - DUI Related; We are satisfied with his verdict and believe that it correctly reflects the law as described in the electoral code and interpretation of case law.. And, in a county that uses an electronic voting system, the recount can be done using electronic devices of a different type used for the specific election. Ballotpedia does not currently cover this office or maintain this page. The Hon. &'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? display: inline-block; The names of voters who cast their ballots on the machines on Election Day, through the mail and by provisional ballot. font-weight: bold; color: white; from the University of Pittsburgh Law School in 1982. The attorneys are seeking to fill two vacancies on the bench. The Pennsylvania election provides that the polls shall be open for only thirteen hours, 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on election day, Mercer said. However, he said, he does not know if his client has an interest in appealing. Eleni Dimitriou Geishauser. He was elected on November 3, 2015.[1]. Winter conceded there is no way to match the individual voter with their ballot, but argued the list will serve as a check on the system to ensure the voting systems captured the correct number of votes. Kauffman said the situation would be much different if the petitioners levied specific claims of fraud or errors. He dumped the bloody bed comforter behind a local business and discarded the firearm in a storm drain at Bern and Rose streets in Reading. We had our hearing on Dec 1 in the Court of Common Pleas. } padding-left: 10px; OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA NO. endstream endobj 13 0 obj <>stream endstream endobj 9 0 obj <> endobj 10 0 obj <> endobj 11 0 obj <>>> endobj 12 0 obj <>stream McCormick challenged a ruling from Berks County Judge James Lillis, who ordered the polls stay open until 9 p.m. because of a snafu with electronic poll books. .courts-header { font-size:150%;background-color:#334aab;color:white;} 2. To me is mind boggling and completely unacceptable.. Before issuing their decision, the commissioners conducted a public hearing during the elections board meeting. To examine the outer envelopes of all mail ballots cast by Berks voters to compare the signatures with the voter signatures on record in the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors System. } Judge Lillis denied our petitions December 5. Jnp`! margin: auto; width: 100%; } Court Watch Review. And, in a county that uses an electronic voting system, the recount can be done using electronic devices of a different type than used for the specific election. s+ZBiS? .infobox { When told that the petitions had been denied, he said he believes there is grounds to appeal that decision. 14 0 obj <>stream .widget-row { He said that since these machines have been in use for several years they would have expected to hear about this issue before this election. 0000000916 00000 n in English from Immaculata College and her J.D. padding-left: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; font-size: .9em; The committee wants the county to make all voting equipment, including the voting machines, available for inspection and testing. Talarico shot his girlfriend, Eloise Moyer, twice in the face in their Hyde Park apartment on or about July 7, police said. James M. Lillis is a judge for the Berks County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. Before arriving at the Reading Eagle, Karen covered policy issues in Harrisburg and Washington for LNP. The county appreciates the time and attention Judge Lillis has devoted to this matter, it said. If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. } My life-experiences will allow me to handle this incredible responsibility, with unwavering ethics and strict respect for the laws of our land. The petitions were tabled by the committee last month on behalf of 94 individual voters. O Jason Ulrich, an attorney for the Berks County Democratic Committee who is joining the county to oppose the petitions in court, said Tuesday that the organization was also very pleased with the ruling. When told the petitions had been rejected, he said he believed there were grounds to appeal the decision. People look to the judicial system for fair and equitable justice. } Judge Lillis's Court In an effort to streamline upcoming Hearings; all required documents and forms, as well as instructions in their use, are provided in this section of the website. A hearing about the petitions will be held before Berks County Judge James Lillis . Apr. font-size: .9em; The purpose of this blog is to provide information about the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law and related statutes and decisions. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the recount effort at Berks was part of a nationwide attempt by supporters of failed gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano to flood Pennsylvania courts with petitions aimed at forcing hand recounts. United States. font-weight: bold; Scott D. Keller. Mercer reminded the board that under state law, the county may not count the provisional ballots for two days after the elections board ruling to give the campaign adequate time to file an appeal, should it wish to do so. Thieves memorizing passcodes to cellphones so they can try to steal money, RAW: FILE: CHRIS PINE SAYS HARRY STYLES DID NOT SPIT ON HIM, The Masked Singer: Polar Bear Details Why Show Was Very Eye-Opening, Jeopardy! Player Gushes Over Former Celebrity Crush Mayim Bialik, RAW: NY: TRAVIS SCOTT ACCUSED OF ASSAULT AT CLUB, RAW: ED SHEERAN: WIFE WAS DIAGNOSED W/TUMOR WHILE PREGNANT, The Cast of Bel-Air Talks Season 2 Banks Family Drama (VIDEO), Jennifer Coolidge once accidentally 'impaled' herself on garden stake. Attorney Eric Winter, who argued on behalf of the Berks County Republican Committee, disagreed with Kauffmans assessment, saying the language in the law that allows for recount petitions doesnt include that language. Now, that court has backed up Lillis original decision. Providing highlights and insights about the PA Right to Know Law and decisions of the Office of Open Records as well as court opinions, In August 2018, Berks County Common Pleas Judge James M. Lillis ordered the City of Reading to pay $12,071.75 in legal feesto a requester and in October 2018, Commonwealth Court Judge Simpsonordered Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to pay $118,458.37 in legal feesto a requester. University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1982, .infobox { There were no facts at all presented to Judge Lillis; witnesses were not called; evidence was not presented and testimony was not taken.. A Berks County judge has dismissed petitions filed by the Berks County Republican Committee seeking a recount of ballots cast during the general election at 30 precincts across the county. The live site is https://www.co.berks.pa.us . This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates. First Assistant County Solicitor Cody Kauffman wrote in the motion that the generic pleading and recitation of the statutory language is insufficient to open ballot boxes under the provision cited in the petitions.
} In August 2018, Berks County Common Pleas Judge James M. Lillis to a requester and in October 2018, Commonwealth Court Judge Simpson to a requester. } After officers went inside and secured a dog in the apartment, they found Moyers body with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. background-color: grey; She was elected on November 3, 2015. width: 250px; Talarico was interviewed and told investigators that he had shot Moyer twice in the apartment they shared. 20-3264 ORDER day of March, 2020, Judge James M. Lillis is appointed as the Temporary AND NOW, this Administrative Judge of the Civil COUlt. The committee made four requests in the petitions: 1. } Contact Francis J. Catania or Francis G.X. Kauffman argued the provision does not require a hand recount, it merely requires that the vote should be recounted by people designated by the court. An effort to force recounts in 30 Berks County precincts had its day in court Thursday. This is a development website: This website is the development website for the County of Berks. Attorney Eric Winter, who argued on behalf of the Berks County Republican Committee, said shortly after the order was available late Tuesday morning that he had yet to see it and review it with his client. Berks was forced to defer confirmation of the election results pending the outcome of the petitions. Winter said the law gives the court broad powers to order a recount that is conducted by hand so machine-related errors can be detected and the results compared to those that were tabulated using electronic devices. .widget-key { So, unless the petitioners can provide evidence of a particular problem, they must file their petitions in all 202 Berks precincts. Posted in Court Decisions. Pennsylvania's judicial elections included a primary on May 19, 2015, and a general election on November 3, 2015. Lillis received his undergraduate degree from the United States Air Force Academy and his J.D. Dec. 6 A Berks County judge has dismissed petitions by the Berks County Republican Committee seeking a recount of ballots cast during general elections in 30 counties in the county. And, he said, this is not an issue the committee has ever heard about before. This is a development website: This website is the development website for the County of Berks. Leinbach noted that the reason the commissioners did not object to the petition to Lillis was because they wanted to be fair to any affected voters who were unable to cast ballots in the morning of May 17. width: 150px; Judge Lillis's Court Currently selected. He was elected to the bench on November 7, 2017, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. font-weight: bold; Thats a fatal defect of these petitions, he said. font-weight: bold; The petitions were filed last week by the committee on behalf of 94 individual voters. The filing deadline for candidates was March 11, 2015.Dimitriou Geishauser, Lillis and Barrett were unopposed in the general election. A state Commonwealth Court judge has dismissed an appeal by the Berks County Republican Committee seeking a manual recount of votes cast in a handful of precincts during the 2022 general election. Over the last number of years, we find ourselves in a very difficult place in elections. %PDF-1.4 % That would be something that they would be entitled to. 8 7 Pat Barrett. color: white; (610) 678-4571 Website: springtwpberks.org RE-ORGANIZATION MEETING MINUTES . .courts-container hr {background-color:#f0a236;padding-bottom:2px;}, Third Circuit Court of Appeals U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania She is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism. The judge is responsible for formally sentencing the defendant at a later hearing. background-color: red; You are here: Berks County > County Departments > Court of Common Pleas > Court Administration > Court Directory. And both filed briefs with Commonwealth Court opposing the appeal. 8 0 obj <> endobj color: white; A court order extended the polls in Berks by one hour on election night in response to an electronic poll book problem at some polling places. His practice includes representing clients about Right to Know Law matters before the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, Common Pleas Courts and Commonwealth Court. Bodor, a Democrat from Oley Township, will cross-file to appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots in the May primary election. color: white; The Honorable James M. Lillis of that court granted summary judgment to Brobst Sr. and a judgment for possession which granted him sole ownership and the sole right to possession of the Real Property by Order signed on June 22, 2016. } Winter said that allowing the verification of signatures on mail ballots would ensure there were no forged ballots cast. She also ran for the Berks County Court of Common Pleas in 2013.. Education. To examine the outer envelopes of all mail ballots cast by Berks voters to compare the signatures with the voter signatures on record in the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors System. width: 43%; margin-top: 1px; border:1px solid #FFB81F; There was an error processing your request. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary. 0000000644 00000 n Berks election officials ask judge to dismiss, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Former West Reading police officer federally indicted in fraudulent body armor scheme for a second time, Berks election officials ask judge to dismiss recount petitions, Reading Auditor Maria Rodriguez announces she will run for reelection, Joanna McClinton voted Pa. House speaker after Mark Rozzi steps aside; first Black woman to win post, Mark Rozzi says he will step down as Pa. House speaker, John Fetterman on path to recovery, will be out of Senate for more weeks, State police charge passenger in fatal crash on Interstate 78 in Berks, So-called Lizzie Lincoln house in Exeter Township to be demolished, Reading restaurant is target of second swatting incident in 3 days in Berks, Former Pottstown man charged in 2016 killing of Berks man, Area family-owned businesses thrive for multiple generations, Berks family of 4 displaced by 2-alarm overnight fire, Reading Penn Street shop owner wants more action, less talk about downtown progress, Stewart's game-winner lifts Wyomissing over Berks Catholic in District 3 Class 4A semifinal, Railroad the last stop of a policeman's 46-year career, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information.
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