Next NorCo DA Will Have a Full-Time Professional Office

When John Morganelli became Northampton County's District Attorney in 1991, the office was a part-time position. At that time, nine of 11 assistant DAs were part-time prosecutors who also maintained a private practice. Morganelli argued that he and his assistants should devote 100% of their time to prosecuting criminal cases. The voters agreed and adopted a Home Rule Charter Amendment to make his position full-time. Since that time, he has worked year after year to transform his office from a "part-time political office to a full-time professional prosecutor's office." If his budget for next year is approved by County Council, that transition will finally be complete.

Currently, 19 of 21 assistant DAs are full-time prosecutors. The two part-timers left are veteran prosecutors Richard Huntington Pepper, Esq., and John L. Obrecht, Esq. Both were serving before Morganelli himself became DA, over 28 years ago. Both have busy law practices and would like to step down. So they will leave when Morganelli does. Pepper will look for his missing hair, while Obrecht plans to take up the tuba.

In his proposed budget, Morgaenlli plans to replace them with full-time prosecutors. He expects this will have a negligible impact on his $2.5 million budget because the newcomers will start at only slightly more than Pepper and Obrecht were being paid.

In addition, to this change, Morganelli is asking Council to approve a new Clerk to assist county detectives in forfeiture matters. This was recommended in a recent Controller's audit, and will also allow detectives to devote more time to countywide drug investigations.

Finally, Morganelli's budget calls for a $42,000 contribution to the Petzold Forensic Center at DeSales University and $50,000 for the Regional Crime Center established by Lehigh County DA Jim Martin. "Regionalization with respect to these services makes sense," he said.

Morganelli said he has not consulted with either of his two possible successors concerning his budget proposal. "I'm still the boss," he smiled. He is sure both would agree because Democratic nominee Terry Houck is and GOP candidate Tom Carroll was full-time prosecutors in his office.

During his final five months in office, Morganelli is wrapping up a few cases in which he is personally involved and is preparing a transition memo.

When he ascends to the judicial heavens in January, he will take no part in any criminal case that was pending when he was District Attorney.