Cherepko vs. Pero in district court judge race

McKeesport’s mayor is hoping to take on a new challenge.

Longtime McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko is running against Joe Pero, a retired McKeesport police chief, for the McKeesport-based magisterial district court judge seat.

Both candidates cross-filed for the race and will appear on Democratic and Republican ballots during the May 20 primary election.

They are both seeking the post held since 2007 by Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi, who is not seeking reelection. Riazzi, who previously served as a McKeesport police officer, chief of detectives and as an Allegheny County sheriff’s deputy, is eligible for retirement under state law.

Cherepko has been the mayor of McKeesport for 14 years, sat on city council for eight years and was a teacher in the McKeesport Area School District for 12 years. He attended Penn State and received a bachelor’s degree in education.

Cherepko told the Mon Valley Independent his main priority is to tackle issues faced by everyday residents in McKeesport.

“I know first hand the obstacles and challenges that McKeesporters face on a daily basis, and I also understand the critical role that a magistrate can play in our community,” Cherepko said. “There are neighbor disputes and other types of civil cases that often need to be resolved in this district court, that I do on a JUDGE RACE •A4

“Obviously, with the ever-increasing number of rental properties throughout the city, magistrates’ responsibilities include holding the landlords accountable and code enforcement violations and landlord-tenant issues that often threaten the residents’ quality of life.”

Cherepko added that his career has given him the ability to look at both sides of a situation and to be fair, which he believes will be important qualities to have to be an effective judge.

Pero has been a lifelong resident of McKeesport and joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating high school. After being honorably discharged, he attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and FBI National Academy. He joined the McKeesport police in 1986 as a patrol officer, rising to chief of police after serving as undercover narcotics officer, patrol lieutenant and assistant chief.

Pero said his long-term experience in law enforcement has made him qualified for the position of magisterial district judge.

“From the time I was 21 up until now, I’ve worked in law enforcement, in the court systems, from local magistrate court to state court to federal court, which is where I currently work,” Pero said. “I’ve been dealing with the court systems, through law enforcement, for over 35 years.”

Pero said his first main priority if elected is to lead by example and make sure his position is held to a higher standard. He added that it includes upholding the ethics of his office on the job and outside in the community.

A second priority for Pero is to make sure he’s available to address community concerns, something he believes residents have struggled with the office in the past.

“I would like to be accessible to the community, I think that’s very important to promote equal access, so that people know their rights before coming to the court,” he said. “There’s a lot of poor people in McKeesport, people less fortunate, that don’t know.

“I’ve been speaking with people on the campaign; the one main thing that keeps coming up is, ‘Whenever I call somebody, nobody returns my call.’ Part of my platform will be to make sure everybody, within a day, gets a return phone call from my office.”

A third priority he wants to tackle is setting appropriate bail for violent offenders, while avoiding unnecessary detention for low-level offenders.

“The local magistrate, I mean, that’s the first step in a judicial process, and you are dealing with a lot of arraignments,” he said. “Make sure somebody arrested on, say, a small amount of marijuana, isn’t sitting in the county jail, taking up space where they need not be.”

Pero added that he also wants to collaborate with local schools on educating students on how a felony could impact their lives. That includes potentially holding mock hearings with the local district attorney’s and public defender’s offices.

“I don’t think these kids understand the impact a felony will have on their life when maybe they’re 30 years old and they’re trying to get their life together, that one felony could impact their life, from getting a job, moving forward, and being a productive citizen,” he said.