Eight Candidates Seeking Nomination for Washington County Common Pleas Judge

Eight candidates are seeking nomination for one of two open seats on the Washington County Court of Common Pleas bench.

All eight candidates have cross-filed for the May 21 primary.

Mike Lucas, of Carroll Township, currently serves Washington County as First Assistant District Attorney.

Lucas, who lives in Carroll Township with his wife, Anna Giordano, and their three daughters, serves as the lead homicide prosecutor in Washington County. According to his campaign website, he has "gained convictions in more homicide cases than any other prosecutor in our county over the past 16 years."

A civil attorney in private practice representing clients and their families in a variety of issues, he has also served as a solicitor for various school districts and municipalities. Most recently, he served as solicitor for the Canon-McMillan School District.

Lucas is a 1989 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College with a bachelor's degree in history. He received his law degree in 1992 from Duquesne University.

For more information on Lucas, visit is campaign website here. To follow his campaign on Facebook, click here. 

Alan Benyak is also seeking nomination in the May 21 primary election.

Former Army Major Alan Benyak, who served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps as an Army lawyer, is seeking nomination to the Court of Common Pleas in Washington County.

Benyak, 49, of Carroll Township, served four years on active duty and an additional eight years in the Army reserves before leaving the military to start a private practice in Washington County.

During the course of his military career, he also was appointed to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.

During the course of his military career, Benyak was awarded several medals.

Upon leaving the military, he began a private legal practice focused on estate planning and administration, family law, municipal law, general civil litigation and real estate. He currently serves as legal counsel to the Mon Valley Police Association and Municipal Authority of Belle Vernon. In addition, he has served as a solicitor for numerous other boroughs, townships, and community organizations.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at Waynesburg University in 1985 and a law degree from Capital University in 1988 before graduating from The Judge Advocate General’s School in the Charlottesville, V.A.

For more information, or to follow Benyak's campaign on Facebook, click here.

His campaign website can be viewed by clicking here.

Charles E. Kurowski is again seeking a seat on the bench.

Kurowski, 60, was unsuccessful in his bid for judge in 2011.

The Canton Township attorney graduated from Geneva College with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1974. That was followed by a master's degree in sociology from Duquesne University in 1976 and a law degree from that institution in 1980.

A member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as well as the bar association in Allegheny and Washington counties, Kurowski served as a master in condemnation actions on the Washington County Board of Arbitrators.

A former president of the Washington County Bar Association, he is experienced in experienced in child custody, divorce, personal injury, estates, real estate law, construction law, domestic relations and criminal law.

His former clients include the Canton Township Sanitary Authority, Pennformer Federal Credit Union, Famous Supply Co., Casper Construction Co. and more.

During his college years, Kurowski worked at both Jessop Steel Co. and Washington Steel Co.

For more information on Kurowski, visit this website (note: The website is from the 2011 campaign).

Peters Township attorney Thomas Fallert is also seeking a nomination for Washington County judge next month.

Fallert is a trial attorney with more than 30 years of courtroom experience, according to his campaign website.

He has practiced in 19 counties throughout western Pennsylvania and has appeared before all three Pennsylvania appellate courts and the United States District Court.

Fallert graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1979. He then graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1982.

He then became a partner at the law firm of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote before joining the firm of Meyers, Rosen, Louik & Perry.

Fallert has been practicing at his own law firm for the past 10 years and is the father of four.

For more information on Fallert, click here to view his campaign website.

Peter Marcoline III is also seeking election to the bench.

Marcoline, of South Strabane, 1995 graduate of Bethel Park High School. Upon graduation, he attended Washington & Jefferson College and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in political science. 

He obtained his law degree from Penn State University in 2002. He also interned at the United States Attorneys Office in Pittsburgh.

Upon graduation from law school, he began a judicial clerkship in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County. In May of 2004, he joined the firm of Blackwell & Associates.

Since entering private practice in 2004, he has defended more than 500 criminal cases and has assisted in more than 500 more in the Court of Common Pleas.

Marcoline and his wife Karen, are the parents of two boys, Alex and Ryan.

For more information, check out his campaign website here.

District Judge Valarie Costanzo is also seeking a nomination for judge.

The Cecil Township resident graduated from Canon-McMillan in 1987, and then earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1991. Costanzo then obtained her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1994.

In 1998, she was appointed as district judge by former Gov. Tom Ridge. She was elected to a full term in 1999, and twice won re-election—once in 2005 and then again in 2011.

As district judge, she presides over criminal, civil, landlord/tenant, traffic and summary cases and is responsible for issuing arrest warrants and search warrants. Since taking office in 1998, she has adjudicated more than 50,000 cases.

A former Washington County assistant district attorney, Costanzo has two sons, her two sons, Ryan and Justin.

For more information on Costanzo, visit her campaign website here. You can also follow her campaign on Facebook here.

Blane Black, a Monongahela attorney, is also seeking a nomination for judge next month.

Black has practiced law for 31 years, and is currently the president of the Washington County Bar Association.

He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with an undergradute degree in economics, and then received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981.

Black has lived and worked most of his life in Washington County, and serves as the treasurer of the Washington County Bar Foundation.

A member of the Monongahela Rotary Club, Black is married with four children.

For more information about Black, follow his campaign on Facebook here.

Rounding out the ballot for judge is Lane Turturice, a South Strabane attorney.

Turturice lost his bid for judge in 2011.

The father of four has degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson College. He earned his law degree from the Thomas Cooley Law School.

Turturice is a founding partner and shareholder of Berggren & Turturice, where he practices municipal law, school law, real estate, family law, corporate law, estates and trusts, real estate, real estate taxes, criminal, juvenile and civil law litigation.

As an assistant district attorney in Washington County, he investigated and prosecuted thousands of criminal cases.

In the past he also worked with Bassi, McCune, and Creeland PC. He has also served as the solicitor for the City of Washington, as well as the Washingotn County Tax Claim Bureau. He was an assistant solicitor for the Washington County Department of Finance.

The eight candidates are vying for seats that were vacated when two judges—Janet Moschetta Bell and Paul Pozonsky—retired.