Eight attorneys are competing for three open seats on the Berks County Court of Common Pleas.
A name familiar to eastern Berks County residents is Victor Frederick IV, who plans to leave his position as a district judge to seek a 10-year term on the Berks County bench.
Frederick, a Republican, brings judicial experience to his campaign, stating on his website that he is the only candidate who has presided over court cases.
Frederick has served as district judge in Oley for the past nine years. Prior to his time on the bench, he served as an Amity Township police detective.
Frederick volunteers for mock trial competitions, speaks at prom safety and anti-drug programs and his website says he is an “accomplished amateur singer.” Frederick lives in Amity with his wife and four children.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University, St. Leo, Fla., and graduated with a law degree from Widener Law School.
Common Pleas Court judges are paid an annual salary of $173, 271. They can seek retention after serving a 10-year term but must retire at age 70.
All eight candidates have cross-filed in both the Republican and Democratic primaries, scheduled for May 19. The top three vote-getters in each party’s primary will move on to compete in the Nov. 3 general election.
Here’s a brief look at the other candidates:
Pat Barrett, a Democrat from Maidencreek Township, has been practicing law for 28 years. He spent part of that time as assistant district attorney in Berks County, and was responsible for all aspects of criminal prosecution, according to his website. Barrett graduated from Temple School of Law in 1985 and has been living in Berks County since 1988, with his wife Paula. Fun fact: Barrett has an identical twin.
Jim Lillis, a Republican from Spring Township, has spent 32 years in private legal practice. He attended the University of Pittsburgh Law School. Aside from being an attorney, he is also a retired member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, from which he retired in 2004 as a brigadier general. Lillis and his wife, Lori, raised three children together in Berks County, according to his website.
Tina Boyd, a Democrat from Oley Township, received a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and a law degree from The Dickinson School of Law. She has been practicing for about 15 years in private law. According to Boyd’s website, she grew up on a farm and now lives in Oley with her husband and two children.
Jonathan Kurland, a Republican from Cumru Township, is the chief deputy district attorney for Berks County, a post he has held since January 2014. Kurland teaches in the courses Criminal Justice Department at Alvernia University. He graduated from Duquesne Law School in 1997 and has been practicing law in Pennsylvania since. According to his website, Kurland was a founding co-chairman the Reading Hospital’s NICU Parent Advisory Board. He lives in Cumru Township with his wife and son.
Eleni Dimitriou Geishauser, a Democrat, is from Exeter Township, where she has practice along with her husband that specializes in criminal law, family law and estate administration. She returned to Berks County after graduating from The Dickinson School of Law in 1996, according to her website. Dimitriou Geishauser also serves as an adjunct professor in the Senior College at Alvernia University.
Kelly Kline, a Democrat from Exeter Township, began her 17-year legal career as a staff attorney for Berks Women in Crisis. She spent nine years as assistant district attorney for Berks County and two years as deputy attorney general for Pennsylvania. She has been in private practice since 2012. On her website, Kline says that she has “demonstrated the ability to balance career, family and community involvement.”
Jim Smith, a Republican from Richmond Township, founded Smith Law Group. He received his law degree from Regent University in 1998. Early in his career, he prosecuted crimes through the Berks County District Attorney’s Office. Smith serves as the vice president of the board of directors for the Hope Rescue Mission in Reading and lives in Richmond Township with his wife and three children.
