Washington County accounts for about a quarter of the state’s active death penalty cases under Jason Walsh, who became DA in 2021 and is seeking a full term this month.
Since taking office in 2021, Walsh has made a name for himself because of how frequently he decides to pursue the death penalty. In his first year, he sought the death penalty in five out of nine of the county’s murder cases. To date, his office is responsible for 12 capital cases that have yet to go to trial, making up approximately a quarter of the total pending death penalty cases in Pennsylvania. Washington County only makes up approximately two percent of Pennsylvania’s population.
***
lennyesq 