HARRISBURG (Sept. 28, 2015) - On Nov. 3, voters will be filling three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, one seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court and one seat on the Commonwealth Court.

All the candidates seeking to fill those seats have signed a "Judicial Candidate's Pledge" promising to adhere to advertising guidelines that promote fair and dignified campaigns.

"Each candidate has signed a pledge to refrain from making statements that might be subject to misinterpretation or distortion," said Richard M. Goldberg, chair of the PBA Judicial Campaign Advertising Committee, which is charged with investigating judicial advertising complaints made by one candidate against another and with determining if the complaint has merit.

"In addition, each candidate has agreed to work quickly with the Judicial Campaign Advertising Committee if asked to respond to a complaint and to take corrective action if requested by the committee. If corrective action is not taken, the committee can make that information public. The goal is to restore a measure of professionalism, dignity and integrity to Pennsylvania's appellate judicial campaigns."

The advertising guidelines and pledge for candidates were adopted and first implemented during the 1995 judicial race following complaints about the 1993 judicial race and the need to promote dignified ads among the judicial candidates.

Copies of the advertising guidelines and pledge, as well as appellate judicial candidates' ratings issued by the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission, can be found at www.pavotesmart.com.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association exists to promote justice, professional excellence and respect of the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 27,000 lawyers who are members of the association.