Slippery Rock Attorney Joe Nash said he'd bring a strong work ethic and experience to a vacant judicial seat.

The seat, left vacant by District Judge William O'Donnell, who did not seek reelection, has a six-year term and serves the boroughs of Slippery Rock, Portersville, Prospect, West Liberty and Harrisville, as well as the townships of Slippery Rock, Worth, Brady, Franklin, Mercer and Muddy Creek.

“Throughout my career, I have personally dealt with every legal issue that a district magistrate will handle, hundreds of times,” Nash said.

“I am actively practicing in these areas of the law right now, so I'll be ready to get to work on day one of this job, if elected.”

Nash said he also plans to bring a balanced approach, with considerations given to the area and its demographics. He said the Slippery Rock magistrate often will see many cases involving first offenses, especially with the university being within its district.“It's important to do justice in each case, and sometime doing justice is a different resolution than sending a kid to jail or giving them a permanent record,” he said.Nash was the first college graduate in his family, with a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. He later graduated from Pennsylvania State University's law school.Nash spent his first few years working as a prosecutor in Texas, while his wife, Dr. Megan Nash, finished her residency in family medicine.Hired initially as the Cameron County, Texas, assistant district attorney, he quickly moved into roles of lead juvenile prosecutor and, later, the trial team prosecutor for the district attorney's office.The couple moved to Slippery Rock in 2007. A few years later, Nash started his own law practice, and his wife began working as a doctor for Slippery Rock Family medicine.Nash has been active in the community, including being a board member for the Slippery Rock Rotary Club, being a member of the Slippery Rock Library board of trustees and working with North Country Brewing Co.'s aquaponics program.Nash and his wife are raising their four children in Mercer Township.

Joe Nash