Former Bucks County Sheriff Milt Warrell has announced his intention to run for district judge.
The Falls Township resident and retired Upper Southampton Township police officer said Tuesday he wants to run to take the seat that will be left open when District Judge Jan Vislosky retires next January.
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“I have decided to run for District Judge to further serve my community and continue a fair and impartial nonpolitical view and follow the law,” said Warrell.
District courts are the first level of the state’s Unified Judicial System. District judges oversee preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings; summary offenses; traffic offenses; municipal code violations; landlord and tenant cases; and civil claims where damages are not more than $12,000. District courts are the most common interaction the public has with the judicial system.
The longtime lawman, whose family runs a plumbing business in Levittown, said his time as an officer and sheriff have prepared him for the job of district judge.
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“I have the experience and knowledge which this position requires from a firsthand direct viewpoint. Not that which was simply learned in a book or on a committee,” he said.
State Rep. John Galloway, a Democrat, announced he is running for the seat last week.
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Like Galloway, Warrell spoke highly of Vislosky, who has been district judge for roughly 30 years, and he called her “one of the finest and fairest judges.”
“The example she set will no doubt be hard to match,” Warrell said.
Warrell, who is also known for his family’s large Christmas lights display, was elected in 2017 to be county sheriff as a Democrat, but he is now registered as a Republican. His exit from the Democratic party was tumultuous one after he did not earn his party’s endorsement in 2021.
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Warrell plans to cross-file in the district judge race, which he has said is “nonpolitical.”
Below is Warrell’s full statement:
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I would like to first say Thank you to Judge Vislosky for her years of service to Falls Township and our great community. In all my years in law enforcement I have had the pleasure of working with Judge Vislosky and can say she without a doubt is one of the finest and fairest judges to work with. The example she set will no doubt be hard to match.
I have decided to run for District Judge to further serve my community and continue a fair and impartial nonpolitical view and follow the law.
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In my 24 years of law enforcement, I have had the honor to serve my community and follow my oath regardless of personal viewpoints and unfortunately at times to my detriment politically. For 20 plus years I worked as a police officer and 4 years as the Sheriff of Bucks County. I have the experience and knowledge which this position requires from a firsthand direct viewpoint. Not that which was simply learned in a book or on a committee. I am also a local business owner that provides services to this community and supplies jobs and revenue in this community, giving me an on the ground perspective of what everyday residents of Falls Twp deal with.
The position of District Judge is a sacred one that should be nonpartisan and follow the law. I look forward to the campaign ahead and if successful, I will serve the people of Falls Township with Honor and Pride.
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