Allegheny County DA Zappala faces new challenger in fellow Democrat Matt Dugan
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala is getting a challenger in his race for re-election this year.
As KDKA political editor Jon Delano reports, it's a fellow Democrat who thinks Zappala is no longer the reformer he used to be.
Matt Dugan, Allegheny County's chief public defender represents those charged with a crime who cannot afford an attorney. He said it's time to reform criminal justice by replacing Zappala as district attorney.
"The district attorney is the chief law enforcement officer in Allegheny County. That office has the ability to control policy and has the ability to really direct the criminal justice system, and I think in 2023 we have an opportunity to think differently about criminal justice," Dugan said.
The father of three and Moon Township Democrat highlights on his website his representation of "the most marginalized members of our community," and believes the DA should not prosecute non-violent offenders.
"We have the ability to treat non-violent low-level offenders differently. We have the ability in Allegheny County to move those folks out of the criminal justice system and that allows us the opportunity to focus more time, more resources, more attention to violent crime and its prosecution."
Dugan said Zappala started off as a reformer but has done little innovation in the last decade.
"Over the past ten years, I think the criminal justice system has been stagnant," Dugan added.
"We spend a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of effort in the Allegheny County criminal justice system putting people through the criminal justice system, placing them on probation, for crimes that really aren't a risk to public safety."
"We want to provide resources to officers and police departments across the county to provide alternatives to the arrest, prosecute, punish model," Dugan said.
Dugan, however, rejected any suggestion that he is like Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner who, some said, has allowed crime to escalate in that city.
"I have some solutions, some policies, that would address low-level non-violent offenders that are absolutely different than Steve Zappala thinks."
"How that relates to Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, I don't know. But Allegheny County is not Philadelphia," said Dugan.
In a statement from the Zappala campaign, incumbent Zappala wrote the following:
"We have led the way in reforming our criminal justice system by offering second chances to non-violent offenders and those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues. We've secured millions of dollars to fund innovations and technology for collecting evidence from car cameras, body cameras, and license plate readers. While enacting these reforms and others, I never forgot that the core responsibility of the district attorney is to put victims first and to prosecute those who commit violent crimes."
Democrats will decide whether Dugan should replace Zappala as their nominee in just four months in the May 16 primary.
