Walsh running for judge in Westmoreland County
State Rep. Justin Walsh, 47, announced his candidacy for judge in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court.
An attorney for more than 22 years, he was elected to represent the 58th Legislative District, which includes the Monessen area, in 2016. Walsh pledged to continue his work protecting local families and their constitutional rights.
“Recent events in Washington, D.C., and right here in Pennsylvania convinced me that, now more than ever, we must have strong conservative judges on the bench,” said Walsh, a Rostraver Township Republican, in a news release.
“The decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to judicially gerrymander the 2018 Congressional districts drove me to run for judge after long discussions with my wife and family.”
Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1997, he is a member of bar associations in Westmoreland, where he practices in Greensburg, and Washington counties.
His legal practice has included criminal defense, juvenile delinquency and dependency, divorce and custody, real estate, wills and estates, workers’ and unemployment compensation, business and contracts.
In the legislature, Walsh serves on the judiciary committee and has been an advocate for laws that preserve public safety. He has legislated to increase penalties for drug crimes and impose tougher penalties for those who victimize the elderly. Walsh has refused a state pension and the other perks.