This is troubling and I believe potentially dangerous.. 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. The committee subsequently appealed his decision to Commonwealth Court. float: right; She is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism. Court Watch Review. [1] Lash was first elected to the court in 1999 and retained in 2009. hb```a``t,A lWPXA wgg`k@ ` ` $ 8 0 obj <> endobj Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Adult Probation is no longer completing ARD DUI Walk-ins at this time. 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. 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. 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. margin-bottom: 0; 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. 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. Talarico shot his girlfriend, Eloise Moyer, twice in the face in their Hyde Park apartment on or about July 7, police said. 612 0 0 792 0 0 cm A manual recount of all paper ballots generated by the voting machines, as well as all mailed, absentee and provisional ballots. The committee wants the county to make all voting equipment, including the voting machines, available for inspection and testing. font-weight: bold; The names of voters who cast their ballots on the machines on Election Day, through the mail and by provisional ballot. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. y !1 AQa"2Bq#3R$br4% 9724 Cumberland Highway. County election officials fought the petitions, saying they were without merit and should be dismissed. As he was taken into custody the next morning he made spontaneous statements regarding Moyer being killed. It should not be necessary for the petitioners to have to provide evidence, he said. background-color: #003388; James M. Lillis Berks County Court of Common Pleas. .widget-row.heading { |al @9# X ( H%D =5"|2+" HI "@&@jBbzVe$ )S }@OJ u The decomposing body of the 41-year-old woman was found July 13 following Talaricos arrest near Bloomsburg, a nearly two-hour drive from Reading, on unrelated crimes while driving her vehicle. File a Formal Complaint . 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. width: 250px; She is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism. Berks was forced to delay certifying the results of the election pending the outcome of the petitions. Winter said the committee believes an inspection of the voting machines is the only way to get to the bottom of what happened on Election Day. The committee has made four requests in the petitions: A manual recount of all paper ballots generated by the voting machines, as well as all mailed, absentee and provisional ballots. } The petitions were filed last week by the committee on behalf of 94 individual voters. Kauffman said the situation would be much different if the petitioners levied specific claims of fraud or errors. The courts do have general supervisory powers over the polls to ensure compliance and to carry out the intent of the election code regarding the polls being open.. 0000000016 00000 n Prior to his election, Lillis worked as a shareholder at Kozloff, Diener, Payne & Fegley, where he specialized in municipal, land use, and education law matters. On February 5, 2020, Appellant filed the Petition [at . Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Ballotpedia features 395,441 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. r?; Y n\a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NC6g?(P n\a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ #kK The county to make all voting equipment, including the voting machines, available for inspection and testing by a duly authorized representative. 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. color: white; Kauffman asked the commissioners to also vote on how they would like to respond to the two lawsuits filed in this matter. endstream endobj 13 0 obj <>stream And, he said, this is not an issue the committee has ever heard about before. The motion further contends that any request for inspection by unqualified parties risks decertification of the voting machines. Judge Lillis denied our petitions December 5. Berks man is sentenced to 25 years in prison, 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 man is sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing his girlfriend, Reading Auditor Maria Rodriguez announces she will run for reelection, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, Man charged with hiding explosive in suitcase at Lehigh Valley airport; Allegiant flight was bound for Florida, QVC, Chester Countys third largest employer, cutting 400 jobs, Talarico shot his girlfriend, Eloise Moyer, 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. .widget-row.Green { display: block; Berks County Court of Common Pleas: Scott E. Lash Berks County Court of Common Pleas: Stephen B. Lieberman Berks County Court of Common Pleas: James M. Lillis Berks County Court of Common Pleas: Linda K.M. Ludgate Berks County Court of Common Pleas: J. Benjamin Nevius Berks County Court of Common Pleas: Thomas G. Parisi Berks County Court of . Dui Lawyer Berks County - If you are looking for experienced, award winning dui lawyers then try our trusted service first. An order from Judge James Lillis was handed down Tuesday to the parties involved. Cody Kauffman, First Assistant County Solicitor, argued that the petitions should be dismissed because they contain no evidence of a specific act of fraud or error. color: white; 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. The county argues that the provision does not require a hand recount but merely requires that the vote should be recounted by people designated by the court. Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts, Courts in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania judicial elections Judicial selection in Pennsylvania. Jeff Bukowski, an attorney representing the Oz campaign, said the provisional ballots were cast by voters through no fault of their own. It is the mission of the Berks County Magisterial District Judge System to seek justice, to foster public trust and confidence in an independent judiciary, and to provide high quality courteous service to all users of the magisterial district courts by processing cases and resolving disputes in a manner that reflects the system's commitment to . %%EOF Berks elections board denies McCormicks challenge to counting provisional ballots, How the 'Daisy Jones' cast went from beginners to bandmates, Abbott Elementary: Chris Perfetti on Jacobs Mural Meltdown & Big SAG Awards Win, Jonathan Majors flexes his acting muscle, turns heavyweight, Jimmy Kimmel: Im fighting to lose weight before Oscars because I looked like a homemade sausage!, Olivia Wilde ready to date again after Harry Styles split but only with amazing guy, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. Magisterial District Judge 39-3-03: Fannett Township, Hamilton Township, Letterkenny Township, Lurgan Township. In a civil case, the jury determines whether a plaintiff has proven the case and what, if any, damages to award. .widget-row.Republican { A Muhlenberg Township man pleaded guilty Tuesday to killing his girlfriend in their apartment and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in a state prison. width: 43%; 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. County election officials are fighting the petitions, saying they are without merit and should be dismissed. Pennsylvania's judicial elections included a primary on May 19, 2015, and a general election on November 3, 2015. font-weight: bold; font-size: .9em; 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. 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. .widget-row.value-only.black { 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. Talarico had a previous burglary conviction that made him ineligible to possess a firearm. He retired in 2004 after serving as an officer in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard for 23 years. 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.. Kauffman said this request falls outside the scope of what is permissible under the provision and is an improper attempt to gain access to information without going through the proper requirements and procedures in the election code and Right-to-Know law. Berks County expects a firm judge, but they also expect a fair judge. vertical-align: top; The Hon. Francis J. Catania is a partner in the Media, PA, law firm of Catania & Parker, LLP, and has been practicing law for over 30. font-weight: bold; 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. Thats a fatal defect of these petitions, he said. The commissioners voted 2-1 to stand in opposition I arguments to count undated and unsigned ballots. .widget-row { ;/%&6J7;ACFGF*4MRLDR?EFC C CC&-CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC } So, unless the petitioners can provide evidence of a particular problem, they must file their petitions in all 202 Berks precincts. Winter said that allowing the verification of signatures on mail ballots would ensure there were no forged ballots cast. A hearing about the petitions will be held before Berks County Judge James Lillis . If you would like to help our coverage scope grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. background-color: #f9f9f9; IWa~#m8#&N7} N!KJX The. A hearing about the petitions will be held before Berks County Judge James Lillis on Thursday morning. First Assistant County Solicitor Cody Kauffman argued that the petitions should be denied because they do not present evidence of a specific act of fraud or error that occurred. Jason Ulrich, an attorney for the Berks County Democratic Committee who joined the county in opposing the petitions in court, said Tuesday that the organization is also very pleased with the ruling. !'#))'#&%,1?5,. 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. She is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in journalism. } The judges of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas include: A. Joseph Antanavage Pat Barrett Madelyn S. Fudeman Eleni Dimitriou Geishauser Theresa Johnson Jill Gehman Koestel Scott E. Lash James M. Lillis Thomas G. Parisi Timothy J. Rowley Peter W. Schmehl Jeffrey K. Sprecher Mary Ann Ullman Paul M. Yatron Senior judges James M. Bucci This is a development website: This website is the development website for the County of Berks. from the Dickinson School of Law.. Career } She covers county government as well as policy issues at the state and federal level with a local focus. OOR: Records Relating To The Investigation And Tracking Of Personal Protective Equipment Not Confidential Under The DPCL. The Hon. background-color: white; There were no facts at all presented to Judge Lillis; witnesses were not called; evidence was not presented and testimony was not taken.. Mike Urban joined the Reading Eagle as a metro reporter in 2002, and since then has covered a wide range of beats and topics across Berks County, including working as an investigative reporter. We are pleased with his ruling and believe it correctly reflects the law as outlined in the Election Code and interpreting case law.. Ballotpedia features 395,441 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. We had our hearing on Dec 1 in the Court of Common Pleas. "Judge Lillis' order lacked both a factual basis. The Berks County Board of Elections submitted a response to petitions that were filed last Monday in county court. } color: white; .widget-key { Appellant timely appealed to the Superior Court, which affirmed Judge Lillis's 2018 decision. Stephanie Weaver, county public relations officer, issued the following statement: The County of Berks appreciates the attention Commonwealth Court Judge Stacy Wallace gave to this case. "So, it's kind of near and dear to me to come here and try to recruit the next wave,. OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA NO. .widget-img { Under certain circumstances, the judge may overrule the jury's determination or damage award. 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