Washington County judge candidates busy
Washington County voters next week will decide the future of two men seeking a vacant seat on the Washington County Common Pleas Court.
Democrat Gary Gilman and Republican Lane Turturice are seeking the seat left vacant by the death of Judge Mark Mascara last summer.
Both men have been busy campaigning throughout the county.
Common pleas judges are elected to 10-year terms and are paid $164,602 per year.
Gilman, 48, of North Strabane Township, is a hearing officer and master for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. He is the husband of Washington County Judge Katherine B. Emery.
Gilman believes his legal experience and passion for public service make him the better candidate.
"Through public service, I have found that I can have a greater impact upon more people's lives and make my community a better place to live," Gilman said.
He said his position as a master and hearing officer for the past 11 years is "very similar to being a judge." He said he has heard more than 8,000 cases. He has been a lawyer for 23 years.
"Like a judge, I have my own courtroom, take testimony from witnesses and write opinions," he said."
There are no classes in law school teaching you how to be a judge or how to sit in judgment. You learn to do this through years of experience.
"I have learned how to manage a courtroom, how to balance competing interest and how to write opinions. And, I know I have the character and integrity to do the job."
In 2008, Gilman said, he was awarded the Allegheny County Bar Association's award for exemplary service for his work as a master and hearing officer.
Turturice, 38, of South Strabane Township, is a former Washington County assistant district attorney and assistant county solicitor. He is a partner in the law firm Berggren & Turturice.
A fourth-generation resident of Washington County, Turturice claims he is the "only candidate for judge that was born, raised and practiced his entire career right here in Washington County."
A California Area High School graduate, he said his family has a history of public service and he wants to carry on that tradition.
"I have continued to make Washington County my home, along with my wife and three children - actually soon to be 4 children, as we are expecting our 4th child," he said. "In my life, I have placed an enormous emphasis on the importance of family. I truly have a heart for children. I felt that I was very much led to seek to office of judge of Washington County, in an effort to make Washington County a better place for my children and the citizens of Washington County."
Turturice believes he is the more qualified candidate due to his experience in the county.
"Quantifiably, I am the more experienced candidate, as my opponent has only filed a total of 45 cases in Washington County during his entire career, and only two of the cases were filed since 1998," he said. "I have filed nearly 700 civil cases, in Washington County alone, which does not include the thousands of criminal cases I prosecuted as an assistant district attorney, the many estates and real estate transactions that I have handled and my work with the 12 school districts and municipalities which I represent."
Turturice said his experience as a past solicitor in the county's tax assessment office will help deal with the reassessment issue facing the county.
He said he has represented individuals as well as municipalities regarding issues involving the oil and gas industry that will help when dealing with Marcellus shale issues.
