Longtime Allegheny County solicitor resigns, sworn-in as Common Pleas Judge

Longtime Allegheny County solicitor Andy Szefi resigned his post on Wednesday to be sworn in to the Court of Common Pleas judgeship to which he was appointed earlier this year.

Szefi, the county’s top attorney for a decade, was appointed to the position by Gov. Tom Wolf, and he was confirmed by the state Senate earlier this month. He’d previously mounted an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the bench last year.

Deputy solicitor George Janocsko will serve as acting solicitor.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald lauded Szefi for his judgement, temperament and legal knowledge.

“While we will miss his thoughtful consideration of issues, extensive research on legal matters and presence on the county’s behalf in the court,” Fitzgerald said, “we know that his presence on the court will continue to benefit the county’s residents.”

Most recently, Szefi filed a massive lawsuit on behalf of the county against several major chain pharmacies for their alleged roll in perpetuating the opioid epidemic in Allegheny County. He’d worked previously on the county’s lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, which was ultimately consolidated with the state-level filing and settled for more than $1 billion. He also worked with the county to draft its paid sick leave legislation and worked to secure mail-in voting rights during the 2020 election.

Janocsko, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, will be nominated to fill the role permanently when county council returns after its summer recess.