Warwick townlively.com
JANUARY 1, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXV • NO 43
Speaker to lead Judge Joe Stauffer metes out discussion on justice with equality and empathy openness of historic towns like Lititz
BY JEFF FALK
“I want to make sure this office runs with integrity,” said ords like honor, balance Stauffer, a 53-year-old resident of and truth are words Warwick Township. “This office that Joe Stauffer takes isn’t a warehouse. It’s a place very seriously. They are words where everyone is treated fairly. that he lives by, brings to life and Fairness is the biggest thing for reinforces every day. me, and equal fairness. You have “You have to balance the law to leave here feeling you’ve been with what benefits the commu- treated fairly.” nity,” said Stauffer. “By being Pennsylvania state policemen, a community member, I know local and regional law enforcewhat hurts the community and ment officers, lawyers and citwhat doesn’t. I’m izens bring more a softie for kids, than 2,200 cases, and I’m a softie for “What I try to do civil suits and violaolder people. I’m tions before Stauffer is treat people a big proponent each year. Traffic with respect, and citations are by far of second chances because I was the most common, I hope people given some second but Stauffer also leave with that chances growing rules on criminal impression.” up. You have to cases involving weigh out what’s drugs, domestic good for everyone. violence, retail theft, You have to treat everyone fairly.” search warrants and landlord and Stauffer is nearly a year into tenant disagreements. He prehis initial six-year term as a mag- sides over more than 30 marriage isterial district judge. The former ceremonies each year. Manheim Borough police chief “I think (the case load) is propresides over cases, renders deci- portionate to the size of the area sions, resolves disputes and rules and the population density,” said on minor local law violations at Stauffer. “We have a large popuhis office at 690 Furnace Hills lation, and a lot of (the cases are) Pike, Lititz. related to traffic. There are a lot Stauffer’s magisterial district of moving parts.” encompasses Lititz Borough, In the complex and layered Warwick Township, Elizabeth United States judicial system, Township and Penn Township. m a g ister i al distr ic t jud ges
BY JEFF FALK
Magisterial district judge Joe Stauffer
represent the most basic level of local justice. Stauffer is one of 19 district justices in Lancaster County, and the size of his case load in Lititz Borough, Warwick Township, Elizabeth Township
and Penn Township ranks 10th among those districts. “Every one is different,” said Stauffer. “You can go before me and have a completely different experience than the others. You See Judge Joe Stauffer pg 3
Although he has never publicly spoken here before, Chris Malone has visited Lititz many times. He comes and goes as he pleases because Lititz is an open town, an open community. But Lititz hasn’t always been that way. “In closed towns, the church decided what people could and couldn’t wear,” said Malone, a scholar and a curator at both Historic Trappe and the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia. “Things like what businesses you had were tightly controlled in a closed town. They controlled the rents. They controlled who could stay overnight.” At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, Malone will discuss the topic “An Establishment of Order and Prosperity: Outside Visitation to Bethlehem and Other Moravian Towns” at the Lititz Public Library, 651 Kissel Hill Road, Lititz. The discussion is being presented by the Lititz Historical Foundation as part of its continuing lecture series. Malone’s talk will last about an hour and is free and open to t h e p u b l i c . I n te re s te d See Discussion pg 2
Happy New Year!
1659 Lititz Pike, Lancaster • 717-394-6439 1026 Lititz Pike, Lititz • 223-258-2087
Shop anytime from home at insidetrackpa.com
R113933
Lace Up With Us, Together Sprinting Into 2025
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JAN. 1, 2025
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
Postal Patron
WAR
W