WAYNE COUNTY, PA — The Magisterial District Judge (MDJ) role in Wayne County’s District 2 has been vacant since the resignation of Kay Bates in August 2024. Two newcomer candidates have thrown their hat in the ring for the race: Jessica Ellis and Wayne Thomas.
Both candidates have cross-filed on the Democratic and the Republican ballots for the primary election. District 2 includes Honesdale, Waymart and Prompton Boroughs; and Canaan, South Canaan, Cherry Ridge and Texas Townships.
Ellis is a third generation Wayne County resident, who moved back to the area in 2013 after graduating from law school in Pittsburgh.
Her work has brought her into contact with multiple aspects of the legal profession.
Alongside her private practice, which covers most types of general practice cases outside of medical malpractice and personal injury, Ellis serves the county as an assistant district attorney. “It’s a little unique. A lot of people don’t know this, that you can do both,” but it’s allowable under Pennsylvania state law, she says.
In addition, Ellis has previously served as a district court administrator, overseeing three other MJD offices.
“I’m very familiar with that, with the administrative side of this office,” says Ellis. “So that’s why I’m telling people, I am uniquely qualified. It’s the way that the law experience and the specific magistrate administrative law experience has come together.”
Ellis’ time in the legal profession gave her an appreciation for the importance of a dedicated, available MDJ.
While handling cases in other counties, Ellis has encountered MDJs who keep private practices while serving in that role, she says. “I can tell you from my personal experience I can never get them on the phone if I have cases with them,” she says. “They are always very late in filing things, and it is very difficult to resolve cases with them.”
Ellis would dedicate all her work to the MDJ office if elected, she says—“In my opinion, it wouldn’t be fair to juggle.”
As for why Ellis chose to run?
“The one word answer is service,” she says.
Growing up, she watched her parents and grandparents serve in different capacities, and has seen her siblings do the same. Since moving back to Wayne County, she has served in multiple capacities herself, joining the Honesdale Area Jaycees and coaching for the Wayne Highlands school district, including as the JV softball head coach.
“I think I can serve with my qualifications and give District 2 the service of that position that they deserve, that we need,” she says.
Visit jessforjudge.com to learn more.
Thomas was born in Kentucky as an Army child, and his family moved to Luzerne County when his father got out of the service. He went into the state police in 1991 and upon graduation was assigned to Wayne County.
“My entire career, 35 years in law enforcement, [was spent] protecting Wayne County,” he says.
Thomas decided to run for MDJ when the former MDJ, Kay Bates, resigned. The resignation created a backlog for the other county MDJs, who had to pick up the cases which couldn’t be handled by the vacant office, and he was approached by several people who asked him to consider running, he says.
Thomas would bring the experience of a wide-ranging law enforcement career to the role of MDJ. He spent 25 years with the Pennsylvania State Police, with almost all of that time dedicated to criminal investigation. For 16 and a half years, he worked with a specialized, statewide criminal investigation assessment unit, working to crack unsolvable murders and other crimes. Currently he works as a school police officer with Western Wayne.
Thomas’ time in law enforcement across the commonwealth gave him an appreciation for the importance of a dedicated, available MDJ.
“We often had a problem getting a magistrate out at off-color times,” such as overnight, he says. This is important in a county like Wayne, which may have only one state trooper car on duty overnight, he says—speedy processing of a suspect through a MDJ gets that individual out of the trooper’s hands, freeing up that car to return to patrol.
While in law enforcement, Thomas also had to engage extensively with the judicial system.
“As a police officer, specifically a state trooper, we did a lot of our own stuff,” said Thomas. When he started, the district attorney’s office was part time, so he had to act as police officer and prosecutor both, arguing for bail and working with affidavits of probable cause. “I did all that stuff; I know what it takes. I know what the criteria is to get it into the magistrate’s office and to get it approved.”
“I think that I’m a well-rounded candidate for this position,” he says.
Visit Wayne for Judge on Facebook to learn more.
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