For most of us, accustomed to elections as being a contest between candidates from opposing political parties, the notion of a retention election seems odd, almost foreign. So the idea that there are a number of Pennsylvania judges, both in the appellate courts and lower courts up for retention might need some explanation.

Although often downplayed in the past, a few appellate court retention elections this election day, Nov. 4, deserve some specific attention. These are generally considered non-partisan although, of course, in the current day climate, as with almost everything else, that can be difficult. Substantial sums, in particular, have been spent on current Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention elections for Nov. 4 and the policy reasons are significant. The reasons might not be im

See Full Page