Magisterial changes unclear to potential candidate

Attorney Girard Mecadon of Jenkins Township was waiting for the ruling by the state Supreme Court that re-establishes and realigns magisterial districts in Luzerne County.

Mecadon’s wait is over, but his concern continues.

The state’s highest court late Monday afternoon agreed to accept a plan by Luzerne County President Judge Thomas Burke to phase out the magisterial district based in Freeland in 2018. The ruling also places Jenkins Township, Pittston Township and Yatesville with the Pittston-based magisterial district effective June 1, taking the municipalities away from the Plains Township district judge.

Mecadon is interested in campaigning for the open Pittston district-judge seat but is unsure if he can kick off his anticipated campaign.

“I don’t know the answer right now; we’re trying to figure it out,” Mecadon said from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Monday afternoon.

Former county District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll, who lives in Yatesville, was considering a run as well . She decided to forgo a campaign for the district seat in Pittston.

“Although I received a tremendous amount of encouragement from supporters to run, I gave it careful consideration, and searching my heart, it’s not a direction I want my career to go in at this time,” Musto Carroll said.

Candidates seeking to be on the ballot for the primaries began circulating nomination petitions on Feb. 19 and have until March 12. Those seeking the magisterial-district seat require 100 signatures on both the Democratic and Republican petitions.

Mecadon said he is ready to kick off his campaign if he is allowed to circulate petitions.

Arthur Bobbouine of Pittston, attorney Alexandra Kokura of Dupont, James O’Brien of Pittston, attorney Mark Singer, attorney Len Sanguedolce of Pittston and attorney Jeffrey C. Kulick have opened their campaigns for the Pittston-based district judge seat.

District judges are elected to six-year terms and are paid $86,639 a year.

The seat became open when Fred Pierantoni III was elected to the Court of Common Pleas in 2011.

Senior District Judge Andrew Barilla temporarily has been presiding over cases at the magisterial district.