Monessen police chief seeks district judge job

Monessen’s police chief the past 12 months wants a new job as the district judge for Monessen and the Pricedale and Webster sections of Rostraver.

Chief James B. Smith, who has only headed the department since February 2018, announced Thursday he is running for the district judge’s post vacated by longtime District Judge Joseph Dalfonso, who retired last May.

Smith, 48, a registered Democrat, plans to run on both the Republican and Democrat tickets in the May primary. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Because Dalfonso retired in 2018 after winning a six-year term in 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of State considers the office “vacant” and the winner will serve a full six-year term, said Beth Lechman, director of the county’s Bureau of Elections.

Smith has been a member of Monessen’s police department since 1994. He was a lieutenant when Mayor Matt Shorraw named him the acting chief in January 2018 upon the pending retirement of former chief John Mandarino.

Smith also had been a narcotics investigator and was a task force officer attached to the Drug Enforcement Administration. He was honored by the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburgh in April 2018 with the Crime Victims’ Rights Award, for outstanding service on behalf of crime victims.

Smith has worked with state and federal law enforcement agencies on criminal investigations. He is the co-chair for the Mon Valley Opioid Coalition where he works with Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Smith, the son of former mayor Mary Jo Smith, will face Alan “Jack” Manderino, son of the late Speaker of the House James Manderino, a political powerhouse on the state and local level.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.