Longtime Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. announced Friday he will run for re-election next year, seeking to build on his decades-long tenure as the county’s top prosecutor.
Mr. Zappala, 65, announced his run for a seventh term at the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council holiday event Friday morning at Acrisure Stadium.
“Violence in our communities is not acceptable,” he said. “It’s time to stop talking about it and it’s time to start doing things.”
Mr. Zappala has been largely absent from public discourse since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. He brushed aside questions about his health, telling reporters “I feel great” and noting that the pandemic changed the way the District Attorney’s Office does business the same as it changed many other workplaces.
He rebuked a political agenda that he said places priority on offenders to the detriment of victims and overall public welfare.
“Safety of the public is, at best, a secondary consideration” among some advocates, he said.
Mr. Zappala said he and his staff have worked hard to change things for the better when it comes to criminal justice in Allegheny County.
“Make no mistake, we’ve changed everything about our criminal justice system since I’ve been here.”
He pointed to accomplishments such as creating a mental health court, requiring police to get his office’s permission to file major crimes charges, and helping victim advocate agencies play a larger role in the court system.
“We’ve done some really wonderful things,” he said. “Because when I can do my job and the courts can do their job, and when the police are properly funded, when they’re properly staffed and permitted to do their job, we will have a safer environment.”
No Democrats have indicated thus far they intend to challenge Mr. Zappala in the spring primary, nor have any Republican or independent candidates come forward.
In 2019, Mr. Zappala fended off progressive candidate Lisa Middleman, collecting nearly 57% of the votes cast. Ms. Middleman ran as an Independent in the November general election after Mr. Zappala beat out primary challenger Turahn Jenkins.
Mr. Zappala came under fire last year when he ordered prosecutors in his office not to make plea deals with defense attorney Milton Raiford after Mr. Raiford went on a rant in court, calling the DA’s office “systemically racist.”
He later walked back that order following public outcry, noting that tailoring the decree to “only one attorney and only about racism will not necessarily achieve the goals of consistency in treatment of all defendants or avoiding false claims of discrimination.”
Currently hanging over the district attorney’s head is the possibility of criminal charges against Pittsburgh Police officers involved in the October 2021 death of Jim Rogers after he was taken into custody for allegedly taking a bicycle. He was shocked multiple times with a Taser and fell unconscious in police custody. He died the next day.
A grand jury hearing evidence in the case ended months ago, though Mr. Zappala remained mum Friday on the jury’s findings and decisions. He noted that a new grand jury has since been seated but would not say whether attorneys would present the case again.
Mr. Zappala said “another agency” is looking into the case, but the refused to say what agency.
Rogers’ family members have pressed for charges and have held several vigils.
First Published: December 16, 2022, 5:44 p.m.
Updated: December 17, 2022, 1:07 p.m.