Matamoras. Dave Clark, candidate for District Judge, passes state certification

Local business owner Dave Clark has formally announced his plans to run for magisterial district judge representing the boroughs of Milford and Matamoras and the townships of Milford and Westfall.

“The district court is often the first – and sometimes only – time residents come into contact with the judicial system, and it’s critically important that this frontline position be held by someone who has the appropriate legal education and a proven commitment to this community,” said Clark, who currently serves as a Matamoras Borough councilman. “I have been a successful business owner and public servant in Matamoras for decades, and look at this position as another way to serve my neighbors, this time on a broader scale.”

Qualifications

Clark, the owner of Delaware & Hudson Taxidermy and Matamoras’ Pine Grove Cemetery, has been certified for service as a member of the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System after passing a four-hour examination required for magisterial district judge candidates.

Clark has also completed two years of civil law classes and one semester of constitutional law while pursuing both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, and completed a year of commerce law while pursuing a separate associate degree in transportation.

’Grass roots’ justice

Magisterial district judges represent the “grass roots” level of Pennsylvania’s judicial system. In Pike County, they have jurisdiction over summary, criminal and motor vehicle cases; landlord/tenant matters; and other civil actions where the amount does not exceed $12,000.

Magisterial district judges may also accept guilty pleas in misdemeanor cases of the third-degree under certain circumstances, have jurisdiction to issue arrest and search warrants and to hold arraignments and preliminary hearings in criminal cases.

Clark, who has more than 20 years of landlord/tenant experience and background in business operations and financial management, is a member of the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department Commission and the 2020 recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the PA Association of Boroughs.

Clark is planning to run in May’s primary elections on both the Republican and Democratic lines.

Supporters are welcome to visit D&H Taxidermy at 301 Pennsylvania Ave. in Matamoras to sign Clark’s petition anytime during business hours.