I recently had the unpleasant experience of appearing as a landlord before District Justice Xander Orenstein. I’ve been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and have appeared in Magistrate Court hundreds of times. Orenstein touts themself as a progressive, non- binary, tenant advocate, no cash bail, social justice warrior.
As a landlord, I can simply file an arbitration appeal. Very simple. However, in the case of Commonwealth v. Cepeda, in which Carlos Pichardo Cepeda was arrested for allegedly possessing 450,000 doses of fentanyl (18 pounds) and a kilo (1,000 grams) of cocaine, the learned judge released the downtrodden victim on no cash bail. Pichardo Cepeda disappeared and failed to appear for court.
The problem is not that Orenstein does not know what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing. Their answers can be found online on the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Orenstein seems to be obessed with “creative solutions, climate change and the environment,” as well as “no cop money PA.”
I would say that the voters of Lawrenceville and lower Bloomfield got exactly what they were promised: a liberal, anti-law and order, pro-narcotic, police-hating progressive.
The next time you vote, please look behind the rainbow to see whether the candidate deserves your vote.
John P. Donovan
Oakmont