District Court 19-3-11, which serves East Manchester and Hellam townships and the boroughs of Manchester, Mount Wolf, Wrightsville and Hallam boroughs, is one of three district seats open for this year’s election.
Magisterial district courts handle minor civil matters, such as landlord tenant disputes, and are the first step in almost all criminal cases.
District judges hold preliminary hearings in criminal cases and determine whether the prosecution has sufficient evidence to forward the matter to Common Pleas Court.
District 19-3-11 is a new district created in 2011 to help balance the caseloads for magistrates throughout the county.
Here are the candidates for District 19-3-11
Bruce Bartz
Retired police officer and current investigator for the York County Public Defender’s Office Bruce Bartz has announced he will run for the vacant judicial magistrate seat in District 19-3-11.
Bruce Bartz, candidate for District Court 19-3-11.
Bartz, 53, who lives in Hallam Borough, spent more than 20 years in law enforcement with the Windsor Township and Hellam Township police departments, retiring in 2009.
He also is a constable in Hellam Township.
Originally from Ohio, Bartz attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 1984.
Bartz said his goal as district justice is to “work closely with the communities for their needs.”
“I intend to keep the streets safe and if that means incarcerating people, it means incarcerating people,” Bartz said.
“I believe they should be held accountable to their communities,” he said.
Howard Daniels
After 34 years as a police officer, Northeastern Regional Police Lt. Howard Daniels wants to continue serving the public as judge of District Court 19-3-11.
Daniels, 56, said he quit college after three years in 1979 to join the Mount Wolf Borough Police Department, which later merged with other departments into Northeastern Regional Police. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy the same year.
Howard Daniels, candidate for District Court 19-3-11
He said he also has management training from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Command Institute.
A lieutenant for the past 16 years, Daniels said his police experience and training give him the background to serve as district justice.
Daniels and his wife, Joyce, live in East Manchester Township.
Robert Eckenrode
A former Northern York County Regional Police officer and current special agent for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Robert Eckenrode also seeks the seat.
“My wide range of experience with everything from traffic law and civil disputes to criminal homicide investigations and major white collar crimes has provided me with the knowledge and background to best continue my service as the next magisterial district judge for District 19-3-11,” Eckenrode, 44, of Mount Wolf, said in his announcement.
Robert Eckenrode, candidate for District Court 19-3-11.
Eckenrode has spent 22 years in law enforcement, first as a police officer, a detective, a member of the York County Drug Task Force and hostage negotiator before spending the past 10 years as a special agent, fighting fraud, crimes against the elderly, drug offenses and corrupt organizations.
He currently is on leave from the Attorney General’s Office while seeking the district magistrate seat.
Drew Heistand
Hellam Township Police Sgt. Drew Heistand also announced his bid for the District 19-3-11 bench.
Heistand has worked for the Hellam Township department for 10 years and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Elizabethtown College.
He is working on a master’s degree in business administration.
Drew Heistand, candidate for District Court 19-3-11
In his announcement, Heistand said he has spoken about policing and safety at churches, schools and other venues.
He also is a liaison for the York County Youth Aid Panel.
“I believe there is more to being a police officer than just throwing handcuffs on someone,” he said. “It is about making our community a better place to live.”
Heistand said he would use his common sense while being fair and respectful as a judge.
He said, while some lawbreakers deserve prison time, he also supports alternative programs to incarceration that can rehabilitate offenders, especially young ones, and return them to society.
“These types of programs keep our children out of the court system and save taxpayer money,” he said.
Laura Manifold
Describing herself as a farm advocate and small business owner, attorney Laura Manifold is making a bid for the District Court 19-3-11 seat.
Manifold, 35, of East Manchester Township, says she is an experienced attorney and proactive community member who has frequently served as an arbitrator for the York County Court of Common Pleas and also mentored students in Kennard-Dale High School’s mock trial program.
“My experience as an attorney makes me more qualified to be a magisterial district judge than those that have announced their intention to run for the position,” Manifold said. “I have been involved in almost every type of case that a magisterial district judge covers.”
“My role as district judge will be to uphold the law and make decisions based upon the evidence, while being impartial,” Manifold said. ” I will strive to make the area a better place to live by holding people accountable for their actions.”