(9/15/15, Erie, PA)  The voters of Erie County will vote in November on the question of whether Court of Common Pleas Judges William R. Cunningham and John P. Garhart should be retained for an additional ten year term.

 The Erie County Bar Association recently conducted a plebiscite, or confidential poll, of its active members to determine how the attorneys, many of whom practice before Cunningham and Garhart, would answer the question of whether they should be retained.  Individual members were asked to anonymously vote either in favor of retention, in opposition to retention or to state that they had "No Opinion."

 Of the ballots sent to the 465 active members of the Bar Association, 302 qualified ballots, or 65%, were returned.  The written ballots were tabulated by the independent local Certified Public Accounting firm of Maloney, Reed, Scarpitti and Co.  A significant majority of the voting attorneys endorsed Judge William R. Cunningham, who received an 89% “Yes” vote, and Judge John P. Garhart, who received a 95% “Yes” vote. The ballots are further summarized as follows:

SUMMARY OF BALLOTS:  JUDICIAL RETENTION PLEBISCITE

Total Qualified Votes:  302