2 vie for county judge seat
A public defender and prosecutor, both Republicans, are competing for Butler County Common Pleas Court judge seat in the upcoming primary.
Assistant Public Defender Maura Palumbi and Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz are seeking the nomination to run in the general election to replace Judge William Shaffer, who retired in January 2022 and now serves as a senior judge.
Both are cross-filed on the Republican and Democratic ballots in the May 16 primary.
Assistant public defender Maura Palumbi said she has experience in all the legal matters that arise in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
“Judges are expected to hear all types of legal matters,” Palumbi said. “I have more than just criminal law experience. I am the most well-rounded judicial candidate, having practiced throughout my career in all areas of the Butler County Courts — criminal, civil, family, juvenile and orphans’ court.”
Before being hired as an assistant public defender in 2016, Palumbi received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and her law degree from Duquesne University. After law school, she served as a law clerk for Common Pleas Court Judge Kelley Streib, who, at the time, was presiding over the court's family division.
Palumbi then went on to own and operate her own law practice where she was a general practitioner with a focus on family law matters.
“It is expected that the newly elected Common Pleas judge will preside in the family division,” Palumbi said. “I have recent and relevant family law experience helping families and children through some of the most difficult times in their lives.”
While in private practice, she received a court appointment to serve as a parent advocate in dependency cases and as a Guardian ad Litem to represent the interest of children in custody matters. She was also appointed to the board of arbitrators in Butler County, where she heard civil cases in arbitration.
“I am in the courtroom — either Common Pleas Court or Magisterial District Court — nearly every day. I have litigated both jury and nonjury trials and have represented clients through all stages of litigation leading up to trial,” Palumbi said. “I understand the complexities of the Butler County court system and I have developed a reputation of honesty and integrity within the courthouse.”
As an assistant public defender, she said she also participates on the Butler County Drug Treatment Court team, a collaborative group made up of members of the community and the criminal justice system to help reduce recidivism.
“I have an understanding of the struggles faced by citizens of Butler County, and I have seen firsthand the important role the judicial system plays within our community,” Palumbi said. “While most people will never need to enter a courtroom, those that do deserve a fair day in court.
“They deserve a judge that will listen to all of the facts presented, without attaching her own emotions or imposing her own opinions or beliefs — a judge that will apply the applicable law to the facts presented and render a fair and impartial decision.”
Outside of the courtroom, Palumbi serves on the Lighthouse Foundation board of directors and recently served on the Butler YMCA board of managers.
She and her husband, Bobby, a local attorney, have two daughters, Alice and Victoria, both of whom attend Holy Sepulcher Catholic School.
She is the oldest of eight sisters and the daughter of Nancy and Michael Sippey, of Middlesex Township. She said her mother is a retired teacher at Holy Sepulcher Catholic School and her father is the assistant police chief at Duquesne University.
“I was raised in a family that instilled in me strong values that I still hold close to this day,” Palumbi said. “Valuing respect for others and respect for the rule of law.”
Palumbi has been endorsed by the Brady Paul Memorial Lodge 54 of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents active and retired state police troopers in Butler, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer and Armstrong counties.
Schultz began her legal career in the county in 1991 after receiving her law degree and master’s degree in English from Duquesne University. She practiced family law and juvenile law and took pro bono cases through Neighborhood Legal Services.
She said she was hired as the county’s first full-time public defender in 1994. In the 22 years she worked as a public defender, she said she represented hundreds of indigent members of the community, until 2016 when she was hired as an assistant district attorney.
While she worked in the public defender’s office, she said she assisted in creating the Behavioral Health Court, a diversionary court for people who are facing charges but are struggling with mental health issues and need focused supervision. She said she returned to the Behavioral Health Court team after she joined the district attorney’s office.
“In my more than 30 years of legal practice, I have tried over 300 cases and spend nearly every day in the courtroom,” Schultz told the Eagle in March. “Having spent time on both sides of the table, in several areas of law, I feel that I have gained a balance to recognize all facets of the judicial system and wisdom to make fair, impartial and just decisions that can only be gained through experience.”
Schultz said she has served as a volunteer for Butler Little Theatre for more than 20 years. She said she also enjoys spending time with her children, grandchildren and two rescue dogs.
She did not reply to requests to answer questions about her campaign.
