Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association Elects New Officers

Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) today announced its newly elected officers for the 2015-2016 business year. The election took place during the association’s annual business meeting. The new officers are:

President:  Hon. Risa Vetri Ferman, Montgomery County District Attorney

Vice President:  Hon. David Arnold, Lebanon County District Attorney

Secretary-Treasurer: Hon. Seth Williams, Philadelphia County District Attorney

“As a prosecutor for over two decades, I have dedicated my career to ensuring the fairness and integrity of the criminal justice system, to developing and implementing the best investigative and prosecutorial practices, and to the protection of all crime victims. I am honored that my colleagues chose me to serve in this important leadership role of our association,” said Ferman. “My fellow district attorneys and I believe in the criminal justice system and the ethical standards our oath demands.  I look forward to working with my colleagues on legislative and law enforcement issues in order to ensure that our system – and all those it is meant to protect – is the best it can be and reflects the times we live in.”

Risa Vetri Ferman was elected in 2007 and is the first female District Attorney of Montgomery County.  She was reelected in 2011 to serve a second term.  Prior to that, she worked for 15 years in the trenches as a courtroom prosecutor, serving as Captain of the Sex Crimes Team and specializing in homicide, child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence cases. In 2002, Ferman was selected to serve as First Assistant District Attorney. Ferman’s time in office is marked by protecting the community’s most vulnerable citizens. She established the Elder Abuse Unit to target criminals who prey upon senior citizens. She was the co-founder of two non-profits dedicated to child abuse victims: Mission Kids, a Child Advocacy Center, designed to ease the criminal justice process for victims of child abuse and Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project (MCAP), which provides pro-bono legal services to abused and neglected children. In 2011, she wrote a children’s book called The Mouse Who Went Surfing Alone designed to introduce concepts of internet safety to young children. Additional bio information is available here.

Throughout its history, PDAA has been well known for its leadership in matters of public safety.  Most recently the association successfully led efforts to: reform Pennsylvania’s child protection laws; establish historic, first-time state funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers; create a statewide prescription drug return and disposal program to help fight back against prescription drug abuse; and administer the distribution of life-saving naloxone to municipal police departments.

About the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association: PDAA is comprised of approximately 1,000 members and is charged with providing uniformity and efficiency in the discharge of duties and functions of Pennsylvania’s 67 district attorneys and their assistants.  Since it was founded in 1912, the association has dutifully sponsored extensive training programs and reported legal and legislative developments of importance to Pennsylvania prosecutors.  In addition, the association is often called upon by legislative leaders, at the state and national level, to address public policy issues and efforts, which impact the prosecution of criminal cases, victim rights and public safety.