Vlasic, Quattro to square off for Monessen magistrate seat

Incumbent Wayne Vlasic will face Jimi Quattro for the Monessen-based judicial seat.

Tuesdays’ general election will see a rematch between two candidates vying for the magisterial district judge seat in Monessen.

Incumbent Wayne Vlasic, who is seeking his second term, will face Jimi Quattro for the Magisterial District Court 10-1-03 judge position.

District Court 10-1-03, located in Monessen, covers the municipalities of Monessen, North Belle Vernon, Webster, Pricedale, and a portion of Lynnwood and Rostraver Township.

During the spring primary, both men cross-filed, with Vlasic securing the Democratic nomination and Quattro the Republican nomination.

In Pennsylvania, a magisterial district court judge serves for a six-year term, and the annual salary is currently $113,713.

Vlasic

A U.S. Navy veteran who served for 25 years, Vlasic was previously employed by the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General for 20 years.

Vlasic also served four terms as the Monessen City Controller and two terms on the Monessen School Board. He added that he is certified by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and serves on the Special Court Judges Association of PA Budget and Finance Committee.

Vlasic highlighted his experience while in office.

“My experience, having adjudicated over 10,000 cases in my time on the bench fairly and competently,” Vlasic said. “These cases include; criminal, traffic, non-traffic, civil, landlord/tenant, ordinance violations, and school hearings. In addition to conducting preliminary arraignments, signing search warrants, arrest warrants, and criminal complaints. And also granting emergency protection from abuse orders.”

Vlasic said one of the difficult parts of being a magistrate judge is making judgments on landlord/ tenant cases and whether to grant an emergency protection- from-abuse order. “A judgment has to be made in a landlord/tenant case to displace a person or a family, which could be devastating,” he said. “This could occur around a holiday or in the wintertime. I often encourage both the landlord and tenant to attempt to reach an amicable agreement. As for the emergency protection from abuse order, after reviewing the information on the forms that are filled out by the requester, I then conduct an interview with that person, usually by video, as to the incident(s). I must ensure the safety of that person and the safety of a child or children involved.”

Vlasic said one of his successes as a judge is how he’s conducted himself on the job and how he’s represented the office.

“My commitment to fairness, unquestioned integrity, compassion, and basic common sense as it applies to the law and the rules of the court,” said Vlasic. “The magisterial district court is the first level of judicial authority and is the court where many people experience the judicial system for the first time.

“I will continue to explain to the people who appear, the workings of the court and how the court is conducted. It’s not only about the law, if it was, that would be simple. It is about the people who come before me, having the patience, the understanding, and listening to the people. We are all human beings, all with a different story.”

Quattro

Quattro is a U.S. Army veteran who served for six years and has been a volunteer firefighter for over 34 years. Quattro told the Mon Valley Independent that he’s had a goal of running for district judge for quite some time to use his experience to “assure everyone is treated fairly, with respect, dignity, compassion and given due process under the law.”

“I believe the best part of being district judge would be continuing my service to the community and helping people through their issues,” he said. “I will be understanding and compassionate and look to assist them and help them overcome downfalls and better themselves. I always keep in mind something I was told as a young cadet in the police academy. ‘None of us have nail marks in our hands, we all make mistakes’ I want to see people get a second chance and move forward in a positive manner.”

Quattro said a goal of his would be to interact with students and kids at their schools and events. He would aim to bring school students to the magisterial office, tour the courtroom, and gain an understanding of the law, as well as its positive and negative effects on individuals.

He said his long career in law enforcement as a police officer has prepared him for the position of magisterial judge.

“I have over 28 years in law enforcement, a degree in criminal justice and I deal with a very culturally diverse population of people,” he said. “I’ve spent thousands of hours in courtrooms. I’ve been in district court, common pleas court, family court and mental health court. I am very well versed with the operations, functions and duties of a Judge in the courtroom. I’ve been involved in cases ranging from parking tickets to homicides and everything in between.”

Quattro said he wants to make a positive impact on youths and young adults who end up in trouble and through the court system.

“When visiting the schools in these districts I’d like to interact with the staff and students,” he said. “Shoot hoops with them, have lunch and try to help them strive to make good decisions and become productive members of society. I want to help individuals get involved in drug court, veterans court and refer them to agencies they can use to overcome issues they have and better themselves.”

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.