Sep 1, 2021 3 min read

Jason Walsh, who was elevated to Washington County district attorney last week following the Aug. 21 death of Gene Vittone, said he wants to continue prosecuting major cases while battling the opioid epidemic that is once again claiming countless lives.

Walsh took the oath of office Aug. 23 two days after Vittone, 61, died at a Pittsburgh hospital while battling lung cancer.

The two men spoke a day before Vittone’s death about the future of the office as Walsh, who served as first assistant district attorney, was preparing to take charge. Walsh chose to keep the focus on his predecessor over the past week while Vittone’s family and the community grieved, but agreed to an interview Tuesday to discuss how he plans to oversee the office moving forward.

Walsh wants to continue battling the opioid epidemic, which many considered to be Vittone’s lasting legacy while serving as district attorney since January 2012.

“Obviously, Gene was very active with the (county’s) Opioid Coalition and many programs in the county. I’m going to continue those same types of initiatives that Gene worked with. That will continue,” Walsh said. “We’re obviously still vigorously prosecuting dealers and target dealers. None of that will change.”

Washington County could set a record with the number of overdose deaths this year if the pace continues as it had in the spring when Vittone began raising alarm bells after a rash of overdose deaths in March involving fentanyl-laced cocaine. Although the region had been on a downward pace since a record 106 fatal overdoses in 2016, nearly 100 people died in Washington County from drug overdoses last year.

Walsh said he plans to meet with the Opioid Coalition soon and is “open to new initiatives and ideas,” although he thinks the framework Vittone established will continue.

“Gene was on the forefront. I’m not going to re-create the wheel,” Walsh said. “I’m going to follow the road map that Mr. Vittone laid out.”

But Walsh said he will also continue to prosecute some felony cases, such as homicides, as he had while serving as first assistant district attorney. However, he plans to shift some responsibilities to others on the staff as he takes on a more administrative role in the office. Leslie Ridge, who served as a deputy district attorney in the office, was sworn in Tuesday as first assistant district attorney to work as Walsh’s top lieutenant.

“I obviously am going to delegate some things, according to time and time constraints,” Walsh said. “I’ll do whatever it takes. It’s a 24/7 job and I’ll be doing what it takes to get those things accomplished.”

Walsh, 50, joined the district attorney’s office in 2016 after running a private practice in Charleroi for 20 years. He grew up in Donora, and lives in Carroll Township with his wife, Rebecca, and their four children. Walsh said Tuesday he intends to run for election in November 2023 when the remainder of the term is set to expire.

Until then, Walsh expects to continue Vittone’s work and keep the current structure of the district attorney’s office intact.

“We’ve built an office with Mr. Vittone that I think is the best DA’s office around, along with the support staff. In that, I’m very lucky to inherit that staff,” Walsh said. “We won’t miss a beat in that part of it.”