In unanimous vote, Senate confirms judge candidates

The state Senate voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to confirm attorneys Lewis Wood Wetzel and Joseph Van Jura for judgeships on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

The vote came just a few hours after that chamber’s Judicial Committee voted 14-0 to favorably recommend the two men for a full Senate vote. The process was swift by Senate standards.

“We were both delighted and surprised it went so rapidly,” said Wetzel, 67, of Dallas, just minutes after the vote, which he was present for. “I guess they understand the situation up (in Luzerne County).”

Wetzel and Van Jura, 63, of Kingston, were nominated last month by Gov. Ed Rendell to fill the seats vacated by judges Michael Toole and Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. Wetzel, a Republican, and Van Jura, a Democrat, could be sworn in during the next two weeks.

They could be sworn in as early as Friday. After they go through judge school, they will be assigned by President Judge Thomas Burke. Whether it’s civil or criminal court, they said they don’t have a preference.

The two appeared before the Judicial Committee on Tuesday morning and were introduced by state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, and her predecessor, former state Sen. Charles Lemmond, of Dallas.

Baker told the committee that “Gov. Rendell has nominated two individuals with extensive experience, quality credentials and the proper justice-first approach required during these unusual and unsettling times. Each is committed to restoring the reputation of the Luzerne County Court, rather than enhancing their personal reputation. Neither is positioning for a next life in electoral politics.”

She told the committee that the assignments are not “easy” and referenced the ongoing ethical and criminal cases against multiple Luzerne County judges that have given the county and the entire judicial system a black eye.

“Given the depth and breadth of the appalling wrongdoing revealed, community trust in the basic integrity and fairness of judges will be hard to re-establish. Their willingness to serve is commendable; their enthusiasm for the undertaking is encouraging. We have had an extremely painful reminder that the fair administration of justice is not a sure thing. Securing justice takes effort on the part of many, but it clearly depends most of all on ethical judges.”

Sen. John Gordner, R-Bloomsburg, sits on the Judicial Committee and said he believed the two men will “make good additions to the bench.”

Wetzel and Van Jura will serve until the end of 2011. Both have said they will not seek election to the positions once their terms expire. Wetzel was nominated to fill the seat of Olszewski, who lost his bid for retention in the November general election. Van Jura would replace Toole, who resigned after pleading guilty in December to charges of honest services fraud and tax evasion.

They come in at a time two former judges – Michael T. Conahan and Mark A. Ciavarella – are awaiting federal corruption trials and an ongoing federal probe in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties continues to snare officials.

Van Jura said he hopes that in his short time on the bench he’s able to help the courthouse gain back the trust of the public.

“I want the citizens of Luzerne County to absolutely believe in the judicial system, to have no doubt about its integrity, its efficiency and its transparency,” Van Jura said.

Wetzel, a 1965 graduate of Lafayette College, received his law degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1968. He is a partner in the law firm of Wetzel, Caverly, Shea, Phillips and Rodgers in Wilkes-Barre. He has extensive experience in various areas, including civil, criminal and real estate matters.

Wetzel and his wife, Veronica, have one child, Leslie, 22 and a stepson, Lorne Trapani, 27. Wetzel has two children from a prior marriage, son Kent, 34, and daughter Lindsey Johnston, 31.

Van Jura is a 1968 graduate of King’s College. He received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and was admitted to the bar in 1972. He is a sole practitioner with a law office in Forty Fort. His practice has primarily focused in civil litigation. He also serves as solicitor for the Hanover Area School Board.

Van Jura and his wife, Rebecca, have two children, Jesse, 19, and Anna, 16. He has four children from a previous marriage, sons Josh, 31, and Jake, 27, and daughters Zoe, 23, and Bailey, 20.