Assistant DA Clingerman announces run for judge
Washington County Assistant District Attorney Kristin Clingerman has announced her candidacy for Washington County Common Pleas Court Judge.
Clingerman, 53, said she will cross-file as a candidate in the May 2017 primary.
Clingerman made her announcement Monday on the steps of Washington County Courthouse.
“For more than 25 years, I have been in the trenches, fighting for equal protection for all under law for you, your families and your neighbors,” Clingerman told supporters.
Clingerman currently serves as lead prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Specialized Victims Investigative and Prosecution Unit.
In 1997, Clingerman developed and piloted the office, which investigates and prosecutes crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Prior to starting the unit, Clingerman was a first assistant public defender and held various positions in private practice.
Clingerman said her career as a trial attorney and prosecutor, which spans more than a quarter century, “provides me with exactly the type of experience and working knowledge necessary for a judge in the Court of Common Pleas.”
She said her experience has provided her with the opportunity to see people at their best and, unfortunately, at their worst.
Clingerman said she cares most about the victims of crimes and works diligently to protect the rights of the innocent.
“A judge must be fair,” said Clingerman. “He or she must be compassionate and must afford everyone equal protection under the law while keeping our communities, especially our children and seniors, safe. That is the kind of judge I will be.”
Clingerman, who grew up in the mid-Mon Valley, obtained her undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College and a law degree from Duquesne University.
In addition to belonging to the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and Washington County Bar Association, Clingerman is active in a number of local organizations.
She and her husband, Robin Stang, have a 15-year-old son, Colton.
Clingerman is a member of Church of the Covenant in Washington.