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November 10

Experts: New district attorney’s staff key

Salavantis’ age and limited experience shouldn’t be a big factor, ex-D.A.’s say.

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
Terrie Morgan-Besecker on Facebook   |   @TLTerrieMorgan on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County District Attorney-elect Stefanie Salavantis’ lack of experience in criminal law should not preclude the office from operating efficiently, as long as she surrounds herself with experienced prosecutors, two former district attorneys said.

The 29-year-old Kingston Township resident, who has been practicing law for just two years, will certainly have to work hard to get up to speed on criminal law and investigative techniques, said former county district attorneys Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. and Robert Gillespie. Having experienced prosecutors available will help ensure the offices run smoothly as she learns the ins and outs of prosecuting cases, they said.

“The most important thing for her is to put together the most experienced staff she can possibly find,” said Gillespie, who served as D.A. from 1982 to 1986. “She’s indicated she’s going to try to retain as many staff as possible. That’s a solid step forward.”

Salavantis, a Republican, narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Jacqueline Musto Carroll in Tuesday’s general election, according to unofficial results.

Salavantis said Wednesday that she is putting together a transition team to look at the office operations.

She hopes to retain many of the current assistant district attorneys.

“A lot of people are asking me if I’m going to clean house, and I am not,” Salavantis said. “There are a lot of experienced prosecutors in that office that I want to keep. I hope they will stay with my administration.”

Salavantis has spent the last two years working for a law firm that specializes in insurance defense.

She also had a private practice that focused mostly on civil law, including family law and real estate.

Young district attorney

At age 29, she will be one of the youngest district attorneys in the state once she’s sworn in in January, she said.

Rich Long, executive director of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, said he knows of only one other district attorney who was younger than Salavantis when he took office. Former Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick was 26 when he was appointed to his post in June 1989, Long said.

During the campaign, Musto Carroll had questioned Salavantis’ ability to run the office given her youth and inexperience.

Olszewski, who served as district attorney from 1992 to 2000, noted Salavantis isn’t the first district attorney to have little prosecutorial experience. Former district attorney and now Superior Court Judge Correale Stevens also had little criminal law experience.

“Judge Stevens turned out to be a very effective D.A.,” Olszewski said.

Olszewski said Salavantis will be aided by long-standing policies and procedures that have been developed.

“It’s not like someone is just going to turn the light off and everything changes,” Olszewski said.

Still, there’s no question Salavantis will face some challenges, Gillespie said.

Challenging case

One of the largest will be the prosecution of double-homicide suspect Hugo Selenski, whose trial, which was scheduled to begin Monday, has been postponed until next year.

“I don’t envy Stefanie for the task going forward,” Gillespie said, “but she has shown some enthusiasm. That leads me to believe she is going to try to do what’s right for the office.”

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