Incumbent Piccinini unopposed in decide race

More than the past various years, the race for decide on Erie County Frequent Pleas Courtroom has attracted a variety of candidates.

Not this yr.

Only a person applicant is functioning for the just one open seat on the nine-member bench, and he acquired a large head begin in the race — which possible allows reveal the lack of challengers.

Marshall J. Piccininni, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Erie, was appointed an Erie County decide two many years ago and is functioning unopposed in the Could 18 key as he seeks a whole 10-calendar year phrase.

Piccinini is a registered Republican who has cross-filed on the GOP and Democratic ballots. Barring an unlikely challenge from a create-in candidate, he is certain to earn on May well 18 and again in the normal election on Nov. 2.

Piccinini, 56, of Edinboro, is functioning on his judicial experience — an advantage that couple of candidates can declare when they first run for county decide.

Attorneys jogging for decide commonly cite their authorized backgrounds as evidence of their skills, but Piccinini is pointing to how he has dealt with conditions on the bench above the previous two many years for why he must be elected to a full expression.

“I’ve savored my time on the bench,” Piccinini claimed.

While finest acknowledged for his work as a federal prosecutor — he managed the Erie pizza bomber case, the issue of fascination worldwide — Piccinini’s do the job as a judge has prolonged beyond prison cases. He has taken care of criminal trials, but also presided more than civil situations and household regulation matters, such as custody disputes.

The most worthwhile part of staying a choose, Piccinini mentioned, has been his potential “to aid men and women remedy their complicated problems.”

Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, in March 2019 nominated Piccinini to fill a vacancy on the  Erie County bench established by the retirement of Choose William R. Cunningham, a Republican. The point out Senate unanimously verified Piccinini in May well 2019 with the backing of his friend, state Sen. Dan Laughlin, of Millcreek Township, R-49th Dist. Piccinini was sworn in as a decide on June 28, 2019.