Lifelong Sharpsburg resident, current mayor, seeking magistrate position

Apr. 10—Sharpsburg Mayor Matt Rudzki is seeking a higher office which would allow him to serve a wider majority of the Lower Valley.

Rudzki, a lifelong Sharpsburg resident and graduate of Fox Chapel Area High School, is seeking election for Magisterial District Judge.

The office serves six municipalities that include Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Indiana Township, O'Hara and Sharpsburg.

"I will be a restorative, fair and accessible justice for all," said Rudzki, raised in a family who for generations has dedicated service to the borough. His father was police chief and his grandfather served on council.

Rudzki believes that accessible magistrates are indispensable to accessible justice.

"Magistrates must commit to fulfilling their duties full-time to ensure that cases on their docket are being heard and resolved," he said. "If magistrates are not on the bench, justice stalls."

In addition to other support, Rudzki said he is thrilled to have been endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

As a community-based judge, Rudzki said it is imperative that magistrates have a comprehensive understanding of and investment in the people and places within their districts.

Over the years, Rudzki has served on the St. Juan Diego Parish Pastoral Council, Fox Chapel District Association, Second Harvest Campaign Committee, Sharpsburg Historical Commission, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization and the Volunteers of America: Youth Empowerment Project Advisory Board.

Rudzki earned his bachelor's degree in history and German from Washington & Jefferson College before graduating from the Duquesne University School of Law, where he participated on the International Law Moot Court team and was awarded a fellowship with the Austrian-American Educational Commission administered by the Fulbright Program.

He chose to return to his roots, settling with his family in Sharpsburg, where he has spent much of the past decade serving on council before being elected as mayor in 2017.

Rudzki said he learned first-hand the value of community service from his father, and has been selected for accolades that showcase his commitment to the borough.

In 2018, Rudzki received a Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence. That same year, he was named the HUMANE ACTION Pittsburgh Legislator of the Year.

Currently, Rudzki practices law as an associate with the firm Jones, Gregg, Creehan & Gerace, LLP. Previously, he practiced with Giuffre Law Office in Aspinwall, clerked at Sheerer Law in Sharpsburg and interned with the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.

Rudzki's practice areas include school & municipal law, estate planning & administration, real estate, and personal injury.

He has served on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Board of Arbitrators, and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Pennsylvania Rising Star three times.

The Sharpsburg District Justice office most recently was held by Elissa Lang, who retired last year. Senior judges have been filling the interim role on a rotating basis.

The office along Main Street hears cases that include small claims, traffic violations and some felonies.

Judges are elected for six-year terms.

"Magistrates have many tools available to them," Rudzki said.

"I will apply them in innovative and meaningful ways to deliver the justice we all deserve."

Rudzki touted his vision for community-oriented justice.

"We should not judge anyone based upon a snapshot in time, but rather on the whole," Rudzki said. "Magistrates have many options available to them to resolve matters in their court. Restorative justice requires applying diversionary services like counseling or referrals to people suffering from addiction or mental health issues.

"It requires crafting solutions to help and guide at-risk youth, whether it be related to delinquency or truancy."

For justice to be fair, he added, magistrates have to consider the ineffectiveness of cash bail and the disproportionate impact it has on people with lower incomes and people of color.

"The courts should consider an individual's ability to pay fines and develop meaningful alternatives and avenues to community service to satisfy a fine," Rudzki said.

Tawnya Panizzi is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tawnya at 724-226-7726, tpanizzi@triblive.com or via Twitter .