There are six candidates for the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas: Democrats Zachary Cohen, Rashid Santiago and Maraleen Shields and Republicans Tom Caffrey, Tom Capehart and David Ritter. Voters will choose three in the Nov. 2 election.

The candidates were asked to respond to the following question in 100 words or less:

What methods would you employ to keep your personal biases out of your decisions?

ZACHARY COHEN

To leave bias aside, it’s essential that a judge remain open-minded, listen, not rush and strive to learn from others. What helps me leave personal bias aside are the perspectives I’ve gained from volunteering to help those in need, and fortunately, having a robust and diverse group of friends, colleagues and peers in Lehigh County who come from all walks of life. They’ve taught me over and over that being judgmental gets you nowhere fast, and if you want to make good decisions that positively impact others, you need to be fair to everyone, which is what I pledge to do.

RASHID SANTIAGO

As a magisterial district judge for the past eight years, I have been trained and conditioned to detach personal biases and emotions from the legal rulings that I make and apply the law to the facts of each case. I truly believe that this is a skill that is developed over time, and I am eager to bring my experience to the Court of Common Pleas. Additionally, I vow to continue to undergo implicit bias training and continuing education opportunities to help eliminate personal biases and thus contribute to maintaining the public’s confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.

MARALEEN SHIELDS

In my years of experience working with organizations and practitioners focused on combating unconscious bias, I have learned it is vital to recognize that each and every person has personal biases. Those unwilling to recognize their personal biases cannot possibly address them. It is important to remain humble enough to listen to all participants with an open mind and make considered decisions based on the law and facts of the case at hand. These are intentional acts that require a constant willingness to monitor one’s own behavior and decision-making. I am and have been committed to this work.

TOM CAFFREY

Every person, regardless of background, brings certain predispositions to whatever they choose to do in life. However, a judge is required to administer equal justice under the law, and therefore, cannot allow his or her predispositions to affect judicial decision-making. I do not believe that this is an issue that lends itself to a particular methodology. Instead, I think it is a matter of making a daily commitment to the principle that cases must be decided based on nothing more than the facts and law and the principle that everyone needs to be treated respectfully and impartially.

TOM CAPEHART

After more than 30 years of working in a vast array of the law, I have a very simple rule I would apply: follow the law and legal precedent.

The fact is following this rule will ensure that any bias – be it mine or anyone else’s – will not enter decision-making. This is because the Court of Common Pleas is not where new law is made; it is where settled law is applied.

Beyond that, I would, of course, follow judicial guidelines for recusing myself from any case in which my impartiality could be reasonably questioned or a conflict-of-interest exists.

DAVID RITTER

To keep my personal biases out of courtroom decisions, I will rely upon my experiences of going into the Lehigh County Jail more than 1,000 times during my career to represent individuals. I will always remember dealing with people at the lowest point in their life: the point where they had lost their freedom. I will use those encounters as my guide for treating all people with dignity and respect. I will then humbly do my best to apply the law as written to all people who come before me, regardless of their condition, race or creed.