 |
Judge lays down the law
By JODI PREISLER HARRISBURG, Pa - Many working women continue to struggle with how to balance their roles as parents and professionals. One such woman is Jeanine Turgeon, a mother of five elected to the ‘boys club’ of Dauphin County’s judicial system. Turgeon began her career as a law clerk in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, after receiving her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She left the Commonwealth Court to work as an associate attorney at a private law firm. She stayed there for three years before moving on to another private law firm where she soon became a partner until her election to the bench in 1991. Turgeon had no prior aspirations of becoming a judge, but when she heard that there were two positions available-a very rare occurrence-and that no one else wanted to run, she discussed campaigning for the job with her family. With their full support, Turgeon, a Democrat, launched a very conservative campaign. Issues involving Turgeon’s Democratic platform and gender plagued her campaign. She prevailed and in November 1991 she was elected to the bench as a domestic relations judge. Prior to Turgeon’s appointment, only two other Democrats had ever been elected to the bench in Dauphin County, a predominantly Republican county. She lamented that it is much more difficult for a woman to run for office because of the perception that society has of women. For instance, in her campaign she was never portrayed as a wife and mother unlike most campaigns in which men often use their families as a campaign tool. Turgeon argued, “Women are every bit as good as men because we are global thinkers and problem solvers As a domestic relations judge, Turgeon presides mostly over child support cases. “She takes a very hands-on approach, and is always looking for new and easier ways to do things. She is innovative,” said Holly Willard, Turgeon’s judicial assistant. Willard said thatTurgeon takes the time to listen and resolve the issues rather than “ruling with an iron fist.” Turgeon may owe her approach to her grandmother who always said, “An ounce of prevention yields a pound of cure.” Turgeon is not known for simply handing down a ruling, instead she imposes conditions on defendants. “She’s tough,” said Louis Verna, a counselor at Mazzitti and Sullivan Counseling Agency in Harrisburg. “She requires anyone with a protection-from-abuse (PFA) order to undergo a mental health and substance abuse evaluation.” Turgeon said that she believes that her approach is making a positive impact. In fact, she would like to see early prevention in other areas as well. One of the major aspects of the legal system that she would like to see changed is access to more resources. “More funding should be made available for criminal defendants because most crimes are the result of underlying addictions or mental health problems.” Turgeon said. She would like to see more up-front funding to prevent crimes rather than after the crime has been committed. In addition to Turgeon’s successful career and buzz of another Supreme Court appointment - Turgeon is currently the vice-chair of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court Domestic Relations Rules Committee - she has been married for 23 years and has five daughters. She said that her greatest accomplishment has been raising wonderful, intelligent women. Turgeon said she juggles her career with her family life “the same way that a man does.” She credits being a multi-tasker with the ability to compartmentalize as the key to her success. She said that she is not a worrier so she is able to separate work and family. She clears her desk each day before leaving work so that there are not loose ends to dwell on after she leaves the office. She reciprocates the same strategy in her family life and said that she has taught her daughters to be independent so she does not worry about them, allowing her to focus on her job. She attributes some of her success as a judge to being a wife and a mother because those roles help her better understand human behavior. To give herself a break from everyday stresses, Turgeon enjoys photography and going to the movies. Turgeon also makes appearances as a guest speaker at local events, and she is an associate professor in criminal justice at Penn State Capital College. She had this advice for other women thinking of pursuing a judgeship, “Run!” All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual
authors. |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||