Peck seeks to extend quarter-century run as Westmoreland DA

District Attorney John Peck announced he will try to extend his quarter-century run as Westmoreland County’s top prosecutor for another four years.

Peck, 74, a Democrat from New Kensington, said he will seek a seventh term in office this year.

“Leadership in law enforcement and justice in the courts are critical to our ability to live our everyday lives. My overriding purpose as district attorney is to pursue justice on behalf of the citizens of Westmoreland County,” Peck said in announcing his campaign. “I have given 40 years of my legal career pursuing justice. I have given the job 100% of myself every day.”

He was unopposed when he won his current term in 2017.

Peck has served as district attorney since county judges appointed him in 1994 to fill the position left vacant after his boss, John Driscoll, won election to serve as Common Pleas Court judge. Peck was elected to his first full term three years later. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in the county since 1981.

Peck, a fixture in the courtroom, said he personally prosecuted more than 40 homicide trials, including high-profile cases such as the “Kill for Thrill” murder cases against John Lesko and Michael Travaglia four decades ago. He won convictions against six Greensburg roommates convicted in the 2010 torture murder of a mentally disabled woman, and, in late 2019, won a first-degree murder conviction and secured a death sentence in connection with the fatal shooting of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw.

Peck also touted his efforts to curb illegal drug sales and overdose deaths in the county. He said his office has prosecuted more than 40 drug dealers in cases where fatal overdoses occurred and participated in drug investigations with local, state and national authorities.

In addition to his courtroom duties, Peck has made presentations to the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Institute and Pennsylvania Bar Institute Criminal Law Symposium, and helped to train cadets at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and citizen police academies. He was awarded the “Kids Hero Award” for child advocacy involving crimes against children and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Police Hall of Fame.

Peck served on the board of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg, St. Joseph Church Parish Council in New Kensington, the Bethlehem Project of the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, the St. Vincent Prevention Project and Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce Leadership Conference.

He is married and has two adult children.