Ash Goes Up In Smoke As Judge Torches Magistrate Candidate’s Lawsuit

A candidate for magisterial district judge has failed in a litigious attempt to keep all of his political rivals off of the ballot.

Beaver County Common Pleas Judge James Ross on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Jeffrey Ash against his five opponents in the race.

Ash is a cross-filed nominee for Magisterial Court District 36-3-04, which serves the City of Aliquippa, Frankfort Springs, Hanover Township, Hopewell Township, Independence Township, and South Heights.

Ash’s litigation alleged that candidates Courtney Bibbee, Mark Bufalini, David Hanna, Brian Rohm, and Felicia Santillan each had material defects in their nominating petitions that should disqualify them from appearing on the May 18 primary ballots.

But Ross determined that Ash’s lawsuit alleging those defects was itself so extraordinarily defective as a matter of law, that the court was unable to even consider the substance of his claims.