PRESS RELEASE December 10, 2010 - For Immediate Release The Judiciary Committee of the Lancaster Bar Association announced its ratings of the four announced candidates for the position of Judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County, to be elected in 2011. A judge will be elected to fill the vacaney resulting from the unexpected death, of Judge Henry 8. Kenderdine, Jr. in April, 2010. James H. Thomas, Chairman of the Committee, released the ratings this moming. Under Bar Association by-laws, a candidate may be rated as “highly recommended”, “recommended”, or “not recommended” Rated as “highly recommended” was Merrill Michael Spahn, Jr. A “recommended” rating was given to Christopher M. Patterson, Leonard G. Brown, III, and Kevin C, Allen, ‘The Judiciary Committee is a 17-member group of lawyers chosen to assure wide representation of the Bar Association, including recent Bar Presidents, Chairs or former Chairs of committees or sections of the Association and members at large elected by the Association or appointed by the President. “Special care is taken”, Thomas said, “to avoid conflicts of interest between members of the Committee and any candidate.” ‘The Committee functions whenever there is a judicial election, Announced candidates complete an extensive questionnaire, The names of all candidates are distributed to all members of the Bar Association with a survey on whether the candidates can be recommended. The Committee compiles the survey results and interviews the candidates. The interviews are focused on whether the candidates possess the special qualities of character, temperament, professional aptitude and experience needed for judicial office. While judges are elected, and elections are part of the political process, Thomas said that the Committee operates on a completely non-partisan basis. “The Bar Association takes the responsibility for recommending judicial candidates very seriously, and hopes that the ratings are a contribution to the common good of the community”, Thomas said