Jeremiah Zook for Judge
Court of Common Pleas - 39th Judicial District
Judges hold a unique position in the governance of our community. We trust judges to be fair and impartial, without influence from wealth, bias, or politics.
When we the people elect a person to the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, we are telling them that we trust them to be the decision makers in the most intimate and emotionally traumatic events in our community.
Experience
My entire legal career has been spent in the courtroom – a litigator -presenting and arguing cases as a private practitioner in Waynesboro, as an assistant public defender, and for the last 7 years as an assistant district attorney for Franklin County. I have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to make serious decisions in any type of case – whether that is a first-degree murder case, a child custody trial, or in complex civil litigation.
I have the knowledge and skills necessary to make serious decisions
in any type of case – whether that is a first-degree murder case, a child custody trial, or in complex civil litigation.
I’ve prosecuted murderers, rapists, drug dealers, violent felons, domestic violence offenders – you name it. I have argued before numerous juries of this county in all types of criminal cases. It is one of the most difficult callings in the law, carrying with it the highest burden of proof recognized in the United States.
In 2009, District Attorney Matt Fogal appointed me to be the First Assistant District Attorney of Franklin County. In addition to all the responsibilities of managing and trying criminal cases, being the First Assistant has meant overseeing nine other Assistant District Attorneys.
The people who enter the voting booth to choose our next judge have a right to know the nature and character of the person whose name they select. I encourage you to examine my record and talk to those who work with me on a day-to-day basis in the courthouse.
Philosophy
As a public servant, I’ve dedicated my professional life to protecting the innocent from the guilty. That dedication is not limited to prosecuting the guilty – it extends to not prosecuting without sufficient credible evidence. I believe there can be no greater investment in this community than serving as a judge and continuing the dedication I have applied to my job as the First Assistant District Attorney.
As a public servant,
I’ve dedicated my professional life to protecting the innocent from the guilty.
That dedication is not limited to prosecuting the guilty – it extends
to not prosecuting
without sufficient credible evidence.
A judge must have the knowledge of the law, the experience of day to day litigation, and the wisdom to recognize that the justice system is not, and was never designed to be, a social welfare program. It is designed to test a burden of proof, and if that burden is met, impose the appropriate penalty (criminal) or remedy (civil) for the harm done.
I believe in the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and I believe that a judge’s job is not to re-write them. A judge’s job is to decide disputes by exercising sound judgment – to decide what is right first and last under the law and the evidence. Faithful adherence to the law is a judge’s solemn oath – to the litigants before them, and to the people of the community.
As I strive to earn the people’s trust to do the work of a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the 39th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, I will continue to view my work as a responsibility to the people of Franklin & Fulton Counties.
Endorsement
I trust Jeremiah’s judgment enough to make him my closest advisor in this system – my right-hand man for lack of a better term. He views his career as a calling, not just a job. Doing the work of a prosecutor has historically been a good proving ground for those who ultimately take the bench, and Jeremiah is a dedicated and competent prosecutor.
– Franklin County District Attorney Matt Fogal
On May 21, 2013,
Vote for Jeremiah Zook for Judge
Court of Common Pleas
39th Judicial District - Franklin/Fulton Counties