LAWRENCE COUNTY D.A. office positions uncertain

Commissioners aren't sure they can provide the money to pay for the spots.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA STAFF
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Three full-time positions in the Lawrence County District Attorney's office are in jeopardy when grant funding ends this year.
According to the county controller's office, a grant paying for one full-time assistant district attorney and one full-time county detective who work on sexual assault and child abuse crimes is ending this month.
Another one-time federal grant, Project Safe Neighborhoods, pays the salary of another full-time assistant district attorney and ends Dec. 31.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino said he expects to keep on all three positions to the end of the year because there is some extra money in his budget to pay them.
However, it's unclear what will happen to those positions when a new district attorney takes office next year. Mangino's term ends this year and he is a judge candidate for Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
"The district attorney will have to determine if he can fund a full-time staff or if he will have a part-time district attorney's office," Mangino said.
Both to work full time
The district attorney candidates, Democrat John Bongivengo and Republican George Freed, both are aware of the loss of grant money and say the makeup of the office must change.
Both have said they intend to work as full-time district attorneys under a new state law that allows them to choose part or full-time status. Mangino was elected as a part-time district attorney before the law changed.
When Mangino took office eight years ago there was one full-time assistant district attorney and seven part-time assistant district attorneys. Through grants and other means, all of the attorneys, except one, are full time.
According to the county controller's office, two full-time and one part-time assistant district attorney are paid with county funding and the salary of another assistant district attorney is paid for with drug forfeiture money. The others are grant funded.
Mangino said he has applied for other grants to help pay for some of the positions that are losing funding, but has not received any response.
Commissioner's take
Lawrence County commissioners aren't making any commitments to help fund the office.
"I think we need to make a decision on a case-by-case basis," said Commissioner Dan Vogler.
Commissioner Steve Craig agreed.
"It's certainly valuable anytime you can help in the prosecution of people who abuse children," he said.
But Craig noted that providing more funding for the district attorney's office will mean cutting money from somewhere else in the county.
Mangino said he cut $20,000 from this budget this year when asked by commissioners to help balance the overall county spending plan. Those cutbacks included giving up his own health benefits and not filling a third full-time county detective position in his office.
"I would assume and hope my successor will continue to look for grants," Mangino said.
cioffi@vindy.com