O'Hara resident, Allegheny County assistant district attorney, seeking Magistrate position

Running on a platform of experience and commitment, Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Megan Sasinoski is seeking election for Magisterial District Judge in Sharpsburg.

The first-time candidate is a lifelong O’Hara resident who hopes to bring her courtroom experience to the job.

“I have done literally thousands of cases in front of magistrates from all over Allegheny County,” Sasinoski said. “Because of this experience, I know what works and what doesn’t work, and I’ll be ready to go on Day One.”

If elected, Sasinoski is committed to making the courtroom her priority and making it her only job.

“This is something that sets me apart from other candidates,” she said. “Others may continue their private employment at a law firm or have another business to run. Not me.

“I believe when you’re elected by the community and being paid by the taxpayers your sole focus should be on serving the public.”

The Sharpsburg District Justice office most recently was held by Elissa Lang, who retired last year. Senior judges have been filling the interim role on a rotating basis.

The office along Main Street hears cases that originate in the Fox Chapel Area School District communities and include small claims, traffic violations and some felonies.

Judges are elected for a six-year term.

Sasinoski said she was spurred to run for office because of her practical courtroom experience.

She has handled a variety of cases in jury- and non-jury trials, from summary violations to misdemeanors, felonies and even homicides.

Her work ethic earned her a spot in the Domestic Violence Unit, a specialized group created by county District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr.

The Domestic Violence Unit is dedicated to protecting victims, most of which are women and children. Only five of the county’s assistant district attorneys specialize in these types of cases at any one time, Sasinoski said.

“Through my experience, I’ve worked with people from all different backgrounds,” she said. “I will treat every person that comes before me with dignity, respect and fairness.”

Behind the gavel, the county is represented by less than 20% women at the magistrate level.

“We can and we must do better,” Sasinoski said.

The Lower Valley native has remained true to her roots her whole life, she said, having attended elementary school at St. Scholastica’s in Aspinwall and then graduating high school from Shady Side Academy.

She lives in the house where she grew up, along with her husband, Marco Attisano, and her son, William Henry. Her family still attends Mass at St. Scho’s.

Sasinoski earned her bachelor of science in economics from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was one of only a handful of women in her class. She then attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and interned with the late Honorable Robert Colville on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

She also worked for the City of Pittsburgh Law Department and assisted in civil and landlord-tenant issues.

As the mother of a young son, Sasinoski said she recognizes how the decisions a Magisterial District Judge makes can affect not only the parties at issue, but their families and the overall community.

“It’s important to have a Magisterial District Judge who will treat every person that comes before her as an individual person and not simply a case file,” she said. “My experience gives me the ability to do that.”