Attorney General
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
H ATTORNEY GENERAL H LEGAL BATTLE This Democratic primary pits two district attorneys — John Morganelli and Stephen Zappala — against Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro. Both Morganelli and Zappala say the next attorney general must have prosecutorial experience, and they criticize Shapiro as a career politician. In return, Shapiro has claimed the two candidates are working together to split the vote to hurt his chances. {COMPILED BY REBECCA NUTTALL} STEPHEN JOHN JOSH ZAPPALA CANDIDATE MORGANELLI SHAPIRO Northampton District Attorney John Montgomery County Commissioner Allegheny County District Attorney Morganelli has been a state prosecutor Josh Shapiro was first elected to his Stephen Zappala is currently for more than 24 years and has position in 2011. Received law degree serving his fifth term and has gone successfully prosecuted more than from Georgetown and worked in uncontested in the past four 20 first-degree murder cases. He private practice for 10 years. Began elections. In the past 18 years, his established a program to address public service in Pa. House. He office has handled more than 300,000 neighborhood nuisance bars. He was currently serves as chairman of the indictments. He previously spent BIOGRAPHY also the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Commission on Crime 14 years in private practice. attorney general in 2008. and Delinquency. Says the attorney general is the chief Says attorney general’s office involves Says courtroom experience is integral law-enforcement officer in the state criminal and civil cases, along with to the attorney general’s office because and district attorneys are the chief consumer protection. Says office 70 percent of the office’s resources are law-enforcement officers in their should challenge special interests, dedicated to the prosecution of criminal counties. Says candidate should and his experience in government cases. Also says office should work have experience with grand juries, and private sector qualifies him. with diversionary programs to prevent ROLE OF THE OFFICE prosecuting cases and public defense. Says 40 percent of AGs come from people from entering the criminal- non-prosecutorial background. justice system and to avoid re-entry. Says drug addiction, especially from Says biggest challenge in justice Would continue dedicated units opiates, has led to numerous deaths system is a lack of fairness; as one focused on domestic violence and child across the state. Would start a example, he cites the recent racist, abuse as he has done in the DA’s office. trans-national unit to crack down on sexist and homophobic email scandal Called for GPS-monitoring of pre-trial international drug dealers. Would involving some state lawmakers. First defendants in domestic-abuse cases. also investigate health-care providers priority would be to ensure citizens Called a grand jury to investigate Plum who are over-prescribing opiates. Says who enter the system are getting School District after two teachers were PRIORITIES cracking down on gun trade is also an equitable treatment. arrested for having sexual relations important component of this. with students. Plans to clean house and notes that Says he would restore integrity to Says he has demonstrated a record the office still has holdovers from the office by: creating a code of conduct of integrity during his time as DA and Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s for employees in the office; mandating points to his experience prosecuting administration. As a senior DA in ethics training; making the office’s politicians as proof of his stand against the state, says he has reputation spending public; banning gifts; installing public corruption. Would install ETHICS for integrity. Would bring in young a commission to examine operations in technology to crack down on racial prosecutors from across the state. all state government offices; and hiring profiling by police. Would increase a chief diversity officer. training to prevent wrongful convictions. Endorsed by state Sen. Lisa Boscola and Endorsed by President Barack Obama, Endorsed by Pittsburgh Regional former Philadelphia District Attorney Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Building Trades Council, Allegheny Lynne Abraham. DePasquale, Sen. Bob Casey, the County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses Allegheny County Democratic Party, & Allied Professionals, Pennsylvania Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, State Education Association, Gov. Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, Philadelphia Mayor Tom Wolf, former Gov. Ed Rendell, Jim Kenney, Allegheny County Executive Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Rich Fitzgerald and commissioners of SUPPORTERS FRIENDS AND Equality PA and the Democratic Westmoreland, Washington, Lawrence, Committees of Chester, Delaware and Indiana, Fayette, Greene, Beaver, Butler Montgomery counties. and Armstrong counties..