If you’ve never had to appear before the Court of Common Pleas, you might not give much thought to who sits on the bench in Doylestown. But for those who have — a parent fighting for custody, a resident challenging a flood-damaged property reassessment, or a township defending its right to hold developers accountable — the stakes are significant.
The decisions made in this court shape lives and communities in profound ways. That’s why I’m supporting the Democratic slate for Bucks County Court of Common Pleas—Linda Bobrin, Dawn DiDonato Burke, Amy Fitzpatrick, and Tiffany Thomas-Smith. These four women bring a balance of perspectives, expertise, and life experience that our courts urgently need.
Family Court: Where Law Meets Life
If you ever need to go before family court, it may be the single most important interaction you’ll ever have with your government. A single case in family court often includes both the worst and best days of a person’s life—divorce, custody, support, adoption, and protection from abuse. These aren’t abstract issues; they’re raw, real, and often heartbreaking.
Tiffany Thomas-Smith has spent the last two decades practicing family law. She understands the emotional intensity and legal complexity of these cases. Linda Bobrin, as Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, has helped modernize key services and made them more accessible to Bucks County families. Dawn DiDonato Burke has mediated housing court disputes, giving families facing foreclosure a fighting chance. These aren’t theoretical commitments — they’re lived legal service. These attorneys have fought for Bucks County families and will continue to do so as judges.
Land Use and Flooding: Who Will Protect Our Communities?
We also need judges who understand the technical side of municipal law and land use. In the past several years, Bucks County has faced catastrophic flooding. Lives were lost. Homes were destroyed. Families and first responders will never forget the damage — and they shouldn’t have to endure it again.
While no one cause explains the increase in these events, overdevelopment plays a measurable role. That’s why municipalities like mine—Lower Makefield Township—have been updating their stormwater management ordinances to mitigate flooding. But guess where challenges to those ordinances begin? The Court of Common Pleas.
Amy Fitzpatrick currently serves as County Solicitor, leading a team of ten attorneys and advising the county on real estate and development matters. She understands the stakes when developers push too far and municipalities push back. We need judges who know how to weigh complex engineering reports and zoning codes with the same fluency as they weigh criminal statutes. That kind of expertise isn’t common on our bench today—but it’s exactly what’s needed.
Gender and Experience: Representation Matters
There’s another kind of imbalance on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas—gender. As of today, only two of the thirteen judges on the bench are women. That’s far from the near 50-50 gender breakdown of the U.S. population. It’s not just an issue of optics; it’s about lived experience.
If one of my daughters ever had to appear before the Court of Common Pleas—whether for a case involving family planning, health, or reproductive autonomy—statistically, she would not be appearing before a judge who had ever faced those issues in her own body. That matters. Judges bring their full selves to the bench, and diversity of lived experience makes for better decision-making, especially on cases that profoundly affect women’s lives.
Adding four deeply qualified women to our court isn’t just about gender parity. It’s about giving Bucks County families the benefit of judges whose experience that reflects the people they serve.
Leadership and Commitment: Broad Backgrounds
Linda Bobrin exemplifies the kind of community-focused leadership we need. As Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, she initiated both the “Wills for Heroes” and “Weddings for Heroes” programs. The former provides free estate planning services to veterans and first responders, ensuring they have essential legal documents like wills and powers of attorney. The latter offers free wedding ceremonies to the same groups, celebrating their service and commitment. These programs, made possible through partnerships with local organizations and volunteers, demonstrate Linda’s dedication to serving those who serve us.
Dawn DiDonato Burke brings more than 30 years of legal experience, including a decade as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she handled complex criminal cases and stood up for victims. But her work didn’t stop there—she’s also served as a mediator in housing court, advocated for vulnerable populations, and volunteered her legal skills to help provide housing for families in need. Her wide-ranging background makes her uniquely equipped to bring both toughness and compassion to the bench.
A Better Bench for a Stronger Bucks County
The Democratic slate isn’t just running to fill robes — they’re running to fill a gap in our court system. They bring decades of combined experience across family law, land use, housing, public service, criminal prosecution, and courtroom advocacy. They bring community ties, a history of service, and a commitment to making the court more responsive to real people, not just criminal caseloads.
Justice isn’t served by a courtroom that sees every issue as a criminal one. Justice is served by balance—by a bench that reflects the complexity of the world we live in, the communities we love, and the families we fight for. This November, we have a chance to restore that balance.
Let’s take it.
