Changing Justice In Allentown

My recent post, Losses For Allentown, mentioned incumbent District Justice Patti Engler losing her bench. The district magistrate system is our first line of defense against Allentown's growing criminality. It is before these district judges that defendants are brought to arraignment by the police department. 

In Allentown's past, district judges were often former policemen. I believe that it would be fair to label Engler's replacement, Linda Vega Sirop, as a social activist. During the campaign she promoted that she would be both the first Latina and first gay if elected.

Philadelphia is no longer the City Of Brotherly Love, unless you're Cain and Abel. The crime and murder rate is horrendous. Social progressives there in both the police and DA's office last year suspended arresting people for shoplifting, until the merchants were almost cleaned out. Philly's latest obsurdity is not enforcing minor traffic violators, because they target people of color too much. Let us hope that down Allentown's road our new district judges won't subvert the efforts of our police department.

ADDENDUM: Although my original premise for this post was that Vega Sirop might be too progressive for Allentown's good, in fairness, that may not be the case.  She's a strong woman, who was laser focused on obtaining this position. I suspect that she will take the judgeship as a sacred mission.