Longtime chief public defender in Washington County retires
Observer-Reporter
Glenn Alterio, who retired last month as Washington County’s chief public defender after serving in that role for more than three decades, is shown in his county office in this 2019 file photo.
Photo courtesy of Rose Semple
Rose Semple will begin as Washington County’s new chief public defender on July 31.
In his early years as a public defense attorney, Glenn Alterio loved the “thrill” of the courtroom while defending clients who couldn’t afford a lawyer but still deserved effective legal representation.
“We do everything from retail theft to death penalty cases,” Alterio said of the public defender’s work. “It’s a well-rounded experience.”
He described mounting the defense in capital murder cases as the pinnacle of his career since the stakes couldn’t be higher for both the defendant and justice system. As the years went on, Alterio moved into more of an administrative role as Washington County’s chief public defender, and he became a mentor for many young lawyers who felt a calling to serve low-income clients.
“Lots of the attorneys who came there like to stay there for many years. Just by repetition, they became better and better,” he said. “There are some very good attorneys in that office. I was privileged to work with many good people there, and I hope they feel the same way.”
Alterio retired from his position as chief public defender June 30 after serving in that role for more than three decades. Rose Semple, who has worked as a public defense attorney in Washington and Greene counties for more than a decade, was appointed to replace Alterio and will assume that administrative role July 31.
“It’s really important that everyone has an advocate in the courtroom,” Semple said. “It’s important for the defendant, the judge, the prosecution and the community that justice is served in the correct way and people aren’t left on their own when they walk into the courtroom.”
And that had been Alterio’s focus for 36 years.
He began his career as a public defense attorney in 1987 when they worked as independent contractors in Washington County. Three years later, those positions were formally brought under the umbrella of the county government and Alterio was appointed chief public defender in 1992.
Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Lucas has known Alterio for most of that time, going back to when Lucas was an assistant prosecutor and going head-to-head against him in the courtroom. But even though Lucas and Alterio were on the opposite sides of criminal cases, they had a mutual respect for each other.
“To me, Glenn was a lawyer’s lawyer, and I mean that in the best sense of the word,” Lucas said. “He was a true pro, a zealous advocate for his clients and highly ethical. He kept his word.”
Early on, Alterio handled many of the criminal cases himself, but as the public defender’s office expanded with more attorneys over the years, he took on a more administrative role overseeing the staff. Still, Lucas said he will always remember Alterio’s passion in the courtroom as being what defined his legal career.
“Glenn was very meticulous in his approach, and you had to bring your A-game if you faced him in the courtroom,” Lucas said. “As public defender, you don’t get to choose (the defendants). You’re representing clients who have done pretty horrific things, but Glenn always manage to put up a respectable defense and did the best for his clients.”
Alterio said he usually viewed his clients as people with difficult backgrounds struggling through life, some of whom had unsavory options leading them into the criminal justice system.
“I found very few people who were truly evil or truly criminal,” Alterio said. “It seemed to be that they came out of some sort of dysfunction and learned how to deal with problems that most people find unacceptable and then come in conflict with the law.”
Semple will now take over the office with a vast amount of experience as a public defender, working in that role in Greene County for two years before taking the same job in Washington County in August 2013. She has served as conflict counsel – a defense attorney position when there is a conflict of interest between clients and a lawyer – since March 2022.
Semple, who grew up in Waynesburg and now lives in Bethel Park, studied at Penn State for undergrad and attended the University of Akron for her law degree. Surprisingly, she will be only the fourth person in Washington County who has held the role as chief public defender.
Although she will have more administrative duties in her new leadership role, Semple said she plans to continue practicing in the courtroom.
“I think the public defender’s office does really admirable work for our community and I plan to make sure our focus continues to be helping our clients,” she said.
Alterio agreed, calling the free legal representation to low-income defendants an “essential part of the system” that offers a legal lifeline to those who need it. He said he’ll miss the courtroom, but he’s happy to retire and will look back fondly on his legal career.
“For my career, I exceeded everything I thought I would achieve. To represent someone in a capital (murder) case and do it a number of times, it’s the World Series of defense,” he said. “I liked the trial work. I liked being in court.”