Legal News

Inquirer Editorial Board Slammed for Not Endorsing Black Women

By Brian Harris

By Amaris Elliott-Engel
Of the Legal Staff

Two Philadelphia state senators and the city Democratic City Committee chairman held a press conference today in front of the Philadelphia Inquirer building in support of the black female judicial candidates who did not receive the endorsement of Inquirer editorial board.

State Sens. Anthony H. Williams and Leanna M. Washington and Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady said they found it unbelievable that the Inquirer couldn't find one of the black women candidates in the local Philadelphia field worthy of endorsement and that voters should rebuke the newspaper's editorial choices by electing them to bench in Tuesday's primary.

"Black women have been denied fair play and justice in the pages of this paper," said J. Whyatt Mondeshire, leader of the local NAACP chapter and publisher of the Philadelphia Sun.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Joyce Eubanks, a gubernatorial appointee who must run to keep her seat, and attorney Roxanne Covington attended the press conference. Both said they were not interviewed by the editorial board. Eubanks received a rating of "recommended" from the Philadelphia Bar Association's judicial commission, while Covington did not.

Other black women in the race include attorneys Sharon Williams-Losier and Beverly Muldrow. They also were rated "not recommended," despite prior "recommended" ratings.

Stephanie Singer, leader of the progressive Center City 8th Ward, and others all spoke in favor of electing black women to the bench despite the lack of an Inquirer endorsement.

Harold Jackson, the Inquirer's editorial page editor, pointed out the paper endorsed African-Americans for the state Supreme Court, Philadelphia district attorney and the Superior Court. Those endorsees include state Superior Court Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen, running in the Republican primary for state Supreme Court, Philadelphia Common pleas Judge John Younge, running in the Democratic primary for state Superior Court, and Seth Williams, running in the Democratic primary for Philadelphia District Attorney against four others.

Full post as published by The Legal Intelligencer Blog on May 18, 2009 (boomark / email).