Mount Carmel district judge to seek reelection

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·4 min read

Jan. 21—MOUNT CARMEL — Mount Carmel District Judge William C. Cole will seek another term in office this spring.

Cole's district includes Mount Carmel, Mount Carmel Township, Kulpmont, Marion Heights, West Cameron and East Cameron Township, Ralpho Township, Rush Township and Riverside Borough.

Cole said he has successfully used his Youthful Offenders Program to give young people a chance to earn a dismissal of certain charges if they complete educational programs on the subject through Northumberland County.

"It is always my aim to try and get young people on the right path in life," he said.

Cole said he uses his bail powers as a judge to allow people to obtain rehabilitation services for addiction problems and mental health issues.

Cole's use of the Community Service Work Program by Cole allows offenders to work for boroughs, fire companies, and schools to give back to the community to reduce their fines and costs.

"This program benefits both the community and the offenders, by providing help to the entities, and in doing so, lessens the offenders financial burden through positive change," Cole said.

Cole has been certified in every year of his tenure on the bench by the Minor Judiciary Education Board. This certification provides course instruction in all areas of the law of Pennsylvania relevant to magisterial district judges. During his current term, Judge Cole has been responsible for or handled approximately twenty-one thousand criminal and civil cases in his office.

Cole is a former prosecutor with 30 years of experience in the Northumberland County district attorney's office. Cole had successfully prosecuted thousands of criminal cases and has obtained many convictions in jury trials. Cole was the first to use DNA evidence to obtain a conviction in a major felony case. He had successfully prosecuted thousands of drug dealers for pedaling their poison in Northumberland County.

"It is this vast experience that provides me with a command of the Law of Evidence to judge disputes as a Magisterial District Judge, and treat all who come before the court with fairness and respect," Cole said, "My qualifications speak for themselves."

Cole has been a practicing attorney in Northumberland County for 35 years, originally as a partner in the firm of Sacavage and Cole, with former Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage and then as a solo practioner in the Borough of Kulpmont, once Sacavage took the bench. Cole was born and raised in Mount Carmel and has lived in Kulpmont for the last 34 years.

Cole said he is well versed in civil law and has dealt with all the types of cases that come before a magisterial district judge.

Cole said the areas include landlord-tenant law, civil lawsuits, and the various types of traffic cases that come before the court.

Cole had held numerous solicitorships, including Northumberland County Human Services solicitor, the Mount Carmel Zoning Board solicitor, and solicitor for Mount Carmel and Kulpmont Boroughs. He was also the solicitor for the Mount Carmel Municipal Authority and the Kulpmont Marion Heights Joint Municipal Authority, making him well suited for the office of magisterial district judge. He was lead legal counsel for Mt. Carmel Borough to complete the Shamokin Creek Flood Protection Project. This project protects Borough residents from flooding that had occurred for many years.

He is a graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School, The Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While at Penn State, Cole served as the Vice President of the Golden Key National Honor Society and as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha the Prelaw Honor Society. He served internships and worked for Robert B, Sacavage , Esquire, Parmlee, Miller , Welsh and Kratz, a Pittsburgh law firm and the Northumberland County District Attorneys Office.,

Cole is a member of the Northumberland County Bar association, past solicitor and member of the Mount Carmel Public Library Board, Mt Carmel Eagles, past Knights of Columbus member, Third degree, past vice president Saint Mary Holy name society, and a member of the Mount Carmel Area Band Parents association.

Cole is a member of Holy Angels Church, Kulpmont Pa. and an avid hunter and fisherman. He resides in Kulpmont with his wife of 34 years, Joan. They are the parents of two sons, Douglas and Andrew. Cole and his wife are also proud owners of a Wheaton Terrier, Sunshine.