Westmoreland's chief public defender announces judicial candidacy

Westmoreland County’s chief public defender announced Thursday he will be a candidate for one of two judicial vacancies this year on the Common Pleas Court.

Republican Wayne McGrew, 50, of Sewickley Township, is making his first run for judge.

“Court appearances can be some of the most stressful times in a person’s life,” McGrew said. “If elected, my courtroom would be a place where those who appear before me could be assured that I would render unbiased decisions based on the law, and treat them with dignity and respect.”

McGrew has served as the head of the county’s public defender’s office since 2012. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney and a lawyer in private practice. He is a graduate of Yough High School and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree in finance. McGrew earned a law degree from Ohio Northern University.

McGrew became a lawyer in 1993 and worked in Pittsburgh, where he handled real estate cases before becoming a special agent for the FBI, stationed in New York City.

McGrew is also an adjunct professor at Saint Vincent College.

“Serving as a prosecutor for a number of years and now as a defense attorney in criminal cases, I have had the opportunity to argue on both sides of criminal cases. That, combined with the varied experience I gained while in private civil practice, has left me uniquely situated to preside over the cases that may come before me as a common pleas judge,” McGrew said.

McGrew is married and has one son.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.