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By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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The selection of Luzerne County’s new commissioner started at 10 a.m., with a potential 68 applicants.

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Exactly eight hours later, Thomas P. Cooney was sworn into the seat.

The flurry of activity began in the jury pool room when court administration did a roll call of everyone present.

Candidates James Desiderio and Lawrence DeFluri were eliminated because they withdrew their names.

Several contenders were disqualified because they weren’t there: Kenneth Phillips, Joseph Gombeda, Jon Trosky, Cynthia Smith and Steven Dommes.

Court officials announced that several others were disqualified because they were not registered Democrats in 2007 – Sam Pennartz, Beth Ann Wenner and Mahes Trivedi.

The registration is required by law because Greg Skrepenak, who vacated the seat, was elected as a Democrat in 2007.

Applicant Amer Haobsh was also on the disqualification list, but he challenged it, arguing that he had been registered as a Democrat elsewhere in 2007. Haobsh was whisked to a courtroom for a hearing before Judge Joseph Augello. After conferring with the other judges, Augello determined that Haobsh must be removed from consideration because he did not meet another legal requirement of living in the county for one year.

Applicant Gordon Snow was also disqualified because the registered voters who signed his petition did not list their addresses. Someone had filed a court challenge on his eligibility.

Judges used a computer software program to randomly assign the remaining 56 applicants to three judge panels.

The applicants hung out in the hallways because they were not permitted to sit in the courtrooms while others were being interviewed.

The crowd gathered again in the jury room around 2 p.m. for an announcement on which applicants would advance to the next level.

President Judge Chester Muroski said all judges made that decision.

“We thoroughly appreciate everyone’s cooperation and interest in applying,” he told the group.

Muroski said some had questioned whether the judges were giving people enough time to apply by shortening the traditional 10-day application period.

“Although it was more work for us, we were delighted to have this many people have that much confidence in our ability to choose that they applied for the position,” he said, generating applause from the audience.

Fourteen applicants made the final cut: Charles Blewitt, John Brenna, Cooney, Thomas Dombroski, Michael Giamber, Bonnie Lini Markowski, Timothy McGinley, Robert Morgan, Adam Ruderman, Darren Snyder, Allison Walzer, Nicholas Volpetti, Gary Zingaretti and James Zoller.

Applicant David Owen Roberts, of Bear Creek Township, was not on the list but praised judges for the process.

“I think everything was handled very well by the courts,” said Roberts, a former county employee.

Roberts said he was “shocked” that two other well-known political figures were not finalists – former county Commissioner Frank Trinisewski and former Kingston Mayor Gary Reese.

Judges interviewed the 14 finalists from 2:50 p.m. until around 5 p.m. The judges then went behind doors to deliberate and cast their ballots in sealed envelopes.

The judges returned around 5:30 p.m. and opened the envelopes, revealing that Cooney had four of seven votes.

Muroski told the 14 finalists that the judges believed many contenders – including all 14 finalists – “exhibited the attributes that we believe necessary to be an effective county commissioner.”

He thanked everyone for participating, saying the day was “an exercise in democracy.”

“We’ve had some young folks participating, and we’ve had some not-so-young folks participate,” he said. “It’s been a long day for everyone, including the courts.”