Merit Selection of Judges

In 2025 there are four open positions on the ballot for the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Bench, with nine candidates seeking election. The Merit Selection Committee of the Bucks County Bar Association is charged with informing and educating the public and the press about the judicial races in Bucks County. All nine judicial candidates were provided an opportunity to complete a six page questionnaire detailing their educational background; legal experiences; areas of practice; community involvement; and character. All nine candidates answered the questionnaire and their responses are available below:

In addition, the Association hosted a Judicial Candidates Night at the Bar Association Building, to which the press, the public and the membership were invited. All nine judicial candidates appeared before members of the bar, the press, and the public and answered questions posed by the Co-Chairs of the Merit Selection Committee. The 850 members of the Bar Association also received a plebiscite ballot with the names of the candidates seeking election to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.

The rating criteria which members of the Bucks County Bar Association are asked to consider are:

Integrity
Disposition and Judicial Temperament
Competency and Knowledge
Education
Practical Experience
Community Service and Involvement
Common Sense

The results of the Bucks County Bar Association Judicial Plebiscite, which evaluated the nine judicial candidates for the four openings on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Bench, are as follows:

Candidate	Highly Recommended	Recommend	Not Recommended	No Opinion
Linda Bobrin	48	60	45	157
Dawn Burke	25	43	65	177
Grace Deon	175	60	19	56
Amy Fitzpatrick	75	52	32	151
T. Gary Gambardella	50	68	101	91
Chelsey Jackman	74	56	56	124
Colin Monahan	5	14	82	209
Joseph Pizzo	31	51	74	154
Tiffany Thomas-Smith	77	67	69	97

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