Promising to bring commonsense, balance and visibility to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, judicial candidate Carolyn Carluccio visited Lycoming County on Friday, where she introduced herself to voters ahead of the Nov. 7 general election.

As Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas President Judge, Carluccio, who is campaigning as a Republican, first stopped by the Sun-Gazette for an interview with the editorial board before attending an arts festival at State College and then later, a meet-and-greet at the fairgrounds in Hughesville.

The daughter of Italian-Irish parents, Carluccio is looking to repeat what occurred for ‘Lycoming County’s favorite son,’ state Supreme Court associate Justice Kevin Brobson, of Montoursville, who two years ago won a seat on the state’s highest court.

“I’d love to join him,” she said.

Visiting communities

As a candidate, Carluccio has gotten into all areas of the state, including the more rural parts, to gain an insight of the common issues facing Pennsylvanians.

While in communities, the candidate has gotten to know individuals’ concerns, whether they are economic worries, crime, education-related, energy-related concerns such as abandoned coal mines and natural gas exploration, and infrastructure concerns such as roads and bridges.

In two weeks, Carluccio expects to be sworn in as president judge of all of the state trial judges.

Her platform will be to ensure that judges immerse themselves in their communities, and educate

everyone — from the very young to the elderly — about the judiciary’s role.

“Judges have been under attack,” she said. “If people don’t understand what our role is, they are much more likely to want to attack us.”

Educating and finding balance

in the court

Carluccio has, for the past decade, taught civics education in the most struggling school district in her home county.

“I find that the children want to learn and they understand that concept far better than a lot of the adults I work with.”

Carluccio said she will try to bring balance to the court, which has seven seats, five of which are considered to be Democratic and two which are considered Republican seats.

Politics does not belong in the court, as judges are to apply the law, she said.

It is an important concept to understand.

“Lady Justice has the scales of justice and she’s blind for a reason,” she said. “I don’t think 5-2 is necessarily balanced,” she said, adding it was important for voters to understand that dichotomy.

Commonsense, application of law and adhere to the Constitution

“I’m running to bring commonsense to the court and to get politics out of the court. I’m not a political judge,” she said, adding that she has been on the bench for 14 years, and during that time has not been allowed to be political.

However, when running for this position in the highest court in the commonwealth, a candidate is thrust into the position of having to become political, she remarked.

“So it’s certainly been an experience in going from not being political to being political for the sake of having your name identified with a party,” she said. Being a Republican candidate has nothing to do with what Carluccio said she does when on the bench as president judge in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

“As a judge, my job is to follow the law,” she said.

The three separate branches of government necessitate that judges do not write the law, which is a matter managed between the Legislature and the governor.

“Those are the seats that are closest to the people,” she said. “If you don’t like the law, you have to go there.”

Carluccio also said as a state Supreme Court judge she will continue to apply what the law is, as a non-activist judge — which is an important aspect of her candidacy.

To a question of whether having the role of president judge in Montgomery County has prepared her for the state Supreme Court, she said there was no better place to learn how to be a Supreme Court justice.

The reason, as she explained, is as president judge of the third-largest populated county in the commonwealth, it is proving ground. The county has 24 other judges, 30 magisterial district judges, and domestic relations, adult probation and juvenile probation offices — all of which fall under her umbrella.

As president judge, Carluccio administers those employees.

The state Supreme Court has a similar role in that it administers all of the different county courts, she said.

Carluccio also is in charge of the county treatment courts.

Many of the jobs and responsibilities she has as president judge are taken on by the Supreme Court, but at a higher level.

Essentially, she contended, her administrative abilities are the perfect type of training for being on the Supreme Court — in order to delegate and undertake those duties.

To a question of when and why she decided to pursue a career in law, Carluccio said she knew she wanted to be a lawyer very early in her life.

Her uncle, Senior Judge Joseph Smyth, is in his last year as a senior judge.

“He inspired me from the time I was very young,” she said.

He was 10 years younger than Carluccio’s mother, and he was a football player at Notre Dame University.

He intrigued Carluccio.

“He used to babysit us,” she said. “Everything he did I thought was pretty cool.”

Smyth was first the county district attorney and became a sitting judge.

“I always thought, ‘if Uncle Joe can do this, I want to.'”

His inspirational guidance was not the only reason Carluccio went into law, but, she said, it helped her get there and to understand there is a path to get there.

To a question asking the candidate ‘Other than Judge Smyth, who in the legal world and outside of it, influenced her judicial philosophy and personal philosophy?’

She answered: As chief deputy solicitor, she worked on building outdoor trails for the community and was also president of the 2,000-member Bar Association.

As such, she brought in a program for bringing clothing to women being released from prison and added art into the courthouse, which engaged the community because it was the senior citizens who were the artists.

“We held a contest and it brought beauty and happiness into our courthouse.”

“I’m blessed,” she said. “I think part of being a public servant is to give back to your community in any way you can.

Job experience

As the first female President Judge in the history of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Carluccio said she will bring unrivaled experience and a fresh perspective to Pennsylvania’s highest court.

Since being elected in 2009, Carluccio has demonstrated proven temperament, fairness, and impartiality in the 1000-plus cases that she has presided over.

She promised to be a strong defender of the Constitution, apply the law as it is written and restore balance and trust to the judicial branch.

Carluccio grew up in a hardworking family of first-generation Italian immigrants and proud Irish Catholics with strong ethics and values.

Although her family started their own small business, she went on to blaze her own trail in the legal community, starting her career as a Federal Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting large-scale drug dealers, bank robbers and money launderers.

Her work earned her recognition from the United States Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Carluccio served as the first-ever female chief public defender for Montgomery County where she managed a team of 35 staff and attorneys.

Additionally, she served as the first woman chief deputy solicitor for Montgomery County and as the acting director of human resources.

As a Court of Common Pleas Judge, Carluccio served with distinction on the Family, Criminal, and Civil Court benches for the past 14 years.

For the state Supreme Court, Carluccio was listed ‘highly recommended’ by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and earned the endorsement of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Montgomery County, Carluccio and her husband Tom currently live in Blue Bell and have three adult children, Andrew, Charlie, and Joseph.

“You have to understand where I come from,” she said, describing her beloved father, who is first-generation Italian American.

He’s 92 years old and struggling with stage 4 cancer for the last year and a half, she said.

He told the doctors he wanted the most aggressive treatment available, she said.

“‘I have to see my daughter win this,'” he said.

Recently, her 88-year-old mother noticed her husband on the floor in the bathroom.

“He was doing sit ups,” Carluccio said. “This is my father,” she said.

“He goes to work the next day and has been to work every day since.”

Carluccio said such family character is important to show his incredible work ethic, incredible passion for his family and for what he does.

Family, faith and always doing the right thing — whether people are looking or not, she said.

“I (always) do the right thing as a judge — even if I don’t like it.”