Election 2023: O'Neill Announces Bid For Warminster District Judge

WARMINSTER, PA —With the upcoming retirement of Magisterial District Judge Daniel J. Finello, Jr., another candidate has announced a bid for the bench in the upcoming May primary election.

Christopher O’Neill has announced his campaign to be elected as the next Magisterial District Judge serving Warminster Township and Ivyland Borough.

“I have spent my career working to keep our streets, our families, and our community safe. I am honored by the outpouring of support I have seen as I have started this process,” O’Neill said. “My life has been guided by three simple principles: dedication to family, commitment to service, and living with integrity. With your vote, these are the values I will bring with me to the District Court.”

“Chris” O’Neill is a 48-year township resident and a corporal in the Warminster Township Police Department.

Prior to his promotion in 2021, O'Neill served as a patrolman with the department since 1997, including time with the K9 Unit, from 1999-2015, and again from 2018 to the present.

Over his 25-year career in law enforcement, O'Neill has appeared before a District Judge more than 1,000 times for citation hearings, preliminary hearings, and preliminary arraignments.

He is also the only candidate in the race who has been certified by the Minor Judiciary Education Board as qualified to serve as District Judge.

Graduating from Archbishop Wood and Temple University, O'Neill has deep roots in Warminster, where he is raising his family with his wife, Sharon.

He is an active parishioner with Nativity of Our Lord, a member of the Police Benevolent Association, a former Warminster/Centennial Baseball coach, and a certified soccer referee.

Magisterial District Court is the first level of judicial authority in Pennsylvania and is the court where most people experience the judicial system for the first time. Magisterial District Judges handle all traffic cases, minor criminal cases, and civil cases involving amounts up to $12,000.

Due to the non-partisan nature of the office, candidates are permitted to cross-file, appearing on both the Democratic and Republican primary election ballots.

Last month, Ivyland Borough Councilman Todd Savarese announced his candidacy. He's an attorney with more than 30 years of law experience, his announcement stated.

In mid-February, Finello announced his retirement after 20 years on the bench serving Warminster and Ivyland. Finello's retirement is effective at the end of his term in January 2024.