District Judge Haggerty announces reelection campaign
Feb. 16—KINGSTON — Judge Jim Haggerty on Wednesday announced that he is running for reelection to the office of District Judge in Court 11-1-05, which serves Kingston and Edwardsville.
Haggerty was first elected as District Judge in 2017, following 20 years of distinguished service to his community as Mayor of Kingston.
"I have worked hard to serve the citizens of Kingston and Edwardsville as their District Judge, and I pledge to continue that record of service with fairness, impartiality, and respect for all who appear before me," Haggerty said. "Our District Court is our community court. With over 25 years of service to our community and having grown up here, I know the people of Kingston and Edwardsville, and they know me. I am honored to be their representative in our District Court and am respectfully seeking their vote and support."
Haggerty brings more than 30 years of legal experience to the bench. A 1990 graduate of Georgetown Law School with honors, he has practiced law for nearly 33 years, representing hard-working local families and businesses. As a pro bono attorney for the Edwardsville Hometown Committee, he said he successfully saved the Edwardsville Pierogi Festival from a legal challenge by an out-of-state organization seeking to extort royalties from or entirely end the Pierogi Festival.
As District Judge, Haggerty has overseen more than 20,000 cases and collected over $2.5 million in fines and costs.
Haggerty said he is currently leading the fight to preserve the Kingston/Edwardsville District Court Office and prevent Luzerne County from moving that office far outside of its district boundaries to the airport in Wyoming.
Haggerty said he has lived a lifetime of service. He served as a lieutenant and tank platoon leader in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Hoyt Library and is currently a member of the Friends of the Hoyt Library. As a volunteer for Dinners For Kids, Haggerty delivers meals to disadvantaged children every week. To date, Haggerty said he has personally delivered over 20,000 meals.
Haggerty served as Mayor of Kingston from 1998 to 2017, having been elected to five consecutive terms. He successfully led important community investments and improvements, including the $2.5 million reconstruction of the Hoyt Library, the design and construction of the $3.4 million central fire station, the $1.5 million upgrade to the Kingston Pool, and over $7.5 million in street improvements. Kingston was also designated a Tree City USA for 20 consecutive years while he was mayor.
"I have always done my best to serve with integrity, a steady hand, and a respect for all of our citizens," Haggerty said. "I have brought these same important qualities to the position of District Judge."
Haggerty is a 1983 graduate of Wyoming Valley West, ranking first in his class of 435 students. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) on a U.S. Army ROTC scholarship, graduating with a B.S. in Management Science in 1987. He was awarded his law degree, with honors, from Georgetown Law School in 1990.
Haggerty grew up in Kingston, the son of the late James and Judy (Treslar) Haggerty. In addition to serving as a lieutenant and tank platoon leader in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Haggerty was a First Honor Graduate of the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky. He is also a graduate of the Airborne Course at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"I believe that my proven experience, qualifications, and record of service make me the best-qualified candidate to continue to serve the citizens of Kingston and Edwardsville as their District Judge," Haggerty said.
As a judicial candidate, Haggerty will be cross-filed and seek both the Democratic and Republican nominations.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
