Andy Rongaus Runs for Chester County Court of Common Pleas

Candidate: Andy Rongaus

Court: Chester County Court of Common Pleas

Party: Democrat and Republican

The following has been edited lightly for length and style.

The Legal Intelligencer: Tell us about your background, where you went to law school, what firms you have practiced at, and areas of law you focus on.

Andy Rongaus: My family and I have lived and worked in Chester County since my great grandfather opened a small corner grocery store in West Chester in the early 1900s. Growing up as a kid, my family owned and operated that same family business in West Chester, a block from the courthouse.

My brothers and I worked in that store after school for many years where our parents taught us the value of hard work, respect for all people, kindness, charity and a sense of community. It helped pay my way through Villanova University where I graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Accountancy and a 2001 graduate of the Villanova University School of Law with my Juris Doctorate.

I started my legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office from 2001-2005. I next served as an ADA in Chester County DA’s Office from 2005-2007. As an ADA, I was assigned to a trial courtroom and handled all types of criminal cases from DUIs to homicides.

In 2007, I was sworn in as a Deputy Attorney General with the PA Office of Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force in Philadelphia where I supervised  the development of complex investigations and prosecutions against large scale drug trafficking and money laundering organizations operating in Pennsylvania utilizing an Investigating Grand Jury and electronic surveillance, including non-consensual wiretaps, as investigative tools and resources.  As a Deputy Attorney General, I was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence and the Pennsylvania Narcotics Officer’s Association’s Outstanding Prosecutor Award.

In 2011, I was sworn in a Chief Deputy Attorney General for the Bureau of Narcotics and Drug Control. I served as the Attorney General’s principal legal advisor for all drug law enforcement issues and investigations pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act. I supervised all statewide drug investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force and the Pennsylvania State Police. While Chief Deputy Attorney General, I was honored to receive the National Outstanding Drug Prosecutor Award by the President of the United States’ Office of National Drug Control Policy.

In 2013, I left the Attorney General’s Office and became Deputy Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania State Police. I gained significant civil litigation experience in both state and federal court as I supervised all litigation, commercial, and transactional matters for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Chief Counsel’s Office. I formulated and reviewed all legal opinions affecting operational, policy, and legislative considerations of the PSP and oversaw all civil litigation in state, federal court, and administrative agencies involving the PSP. While at PSP I was recognized with the Governor’s General Counsel’s Excellence Award in 2017 and recognized by the U.S. Secret Service for the legal guidance and assistance provided through the Papal Visit in 2015 and the Democratic National Convention in 2016.

In 2020, I became a partner at Siana Law and I represent municipalities, police departments, elected officials and police officers statewide in tort, civil rights and employment actions in both state and federal court. I also serve as solicitor and special labor counsel for various municipal governments and commissions.

Public service and hard work are traits that my parents imparted to me at a young age. I have learned that hard work is necessary to attain success in all aspects of life. From working in my parents’ store after school, progressing through though the Scouting program to the rank of Eagle Scout, competing on the sports field, and the courtroom. These lessons resonated with me and continue to push me to be involved in my community.

I am a volunteer firefighter with the First West Chester Fire Company for the last thirty years and currently serve as president of the company. I also volunteer and coach with my three children’s sporting, school and CYO activities.

As a kid who grew up in Chester County and is now raising a family here, I know our community and those who live in it. I have spent a career protecting it and will bring that same common sense and real-world approach to the court. All of which provide me with a unique sense of balance and a respectful demeanor to those who appear before the court.

The Legal: What is one major thing about your career experience that most qualifies you for this position, and why?

Rongaus: To be a good trial judge a candidate needs to have courtroom and litigation experience in criminal and civil matters to preside and conduct trials. I have that experience as I have tried cases all over the state of Pennsylvania. I have handled over sixty jury trials to verdict and have litigated thousands of cases in over forty of Pennsylvania’s sixty common pleas Judicial districts statewide and all three of Pennsylvania’s federal district courts. My extensive trial and litigation experience make me distinctly qualified to join the esteemed bench of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas and present me as an appealing candidate.

The Legal: What is the main reason Pennsylvania voters should pick you?

Rongaus: Chester County voters should elect me to the bench because experience matters! The five Judges that voters select this election cycle make up one third of the court and could serve for the next 20 to 30 years. As such it is important to make sure that those who are elected have the legal knowledge, the trial experience and the judicial temperament to serve as judge. I have lived and worked in this community my whole life. I have proven and demonstrated legal knowledge and extensive statewide trial experience that uniquely qualifies me to serve as a trial judge. I have been protecting this community for the past 30 years as a volunteer firefighter with the West Chester Fire Department and currently serve as the president of the First West Chester Fire Company. I have spent my legal career protecting this community by serving as a prosecutor and attorney at the highest levels of law enforcement in Pennsylvania. I am active in my community through my church, Scouting, and a volunteer coach in various local community sports organizations with my children. In 2022, I was recipient of the VISTA Leadership Megastar award by Chester County Council and VISTA today.

The Legal: What will be your approach to moving matters efficiently through the case management system?

Rongaus: As an attorney in private practice, I am aware of the obligations that litigation attorneys have in the many courts they practice. I am also respectful of the time of other parties, witnesses and victims. I would work to ensure that time is utilized in an effective matter for all parties. There must be a balance between efficiently moving cases through the judicial process in order to bring closure to matters in controversy and understanding that all who appear before the court have other personal, family, and employment responsibilities.

I would work to utilize case management conferences to set forth scheduling orders to help allow for better time management of the court’s daily schedule in both criminal and civil matters. I would look to the court’s “down time” during trial terms to address outstanding pre-trial matters and motions as well as other matters when necessary to accommodate schedules.

The Legal: What would you say to voters regarding your plans to ensure the equal administration of justice for all people?

Rongaus: As a judge it is my responsibility to protect the rights of all defendants by ensuring they receive a fair trial and that the government is not abusing its power. A judge must protect the rights of the civil litigants and victims by making sure that they have a voice and that those who violate the law are held accountable. As a judge I would strive to be fair and independent and render decisions based upon the law and facts and circumstances of each case, regardless of an individuals’ station in life or status in the community.

Individual accountability is necessary for the success of our criminal and civil justice system and it is something that our society needs. A good judge must hold people accountable for their actions while balancing individual needs such as addiction, mental health issues, and other mitigating factors. This premise is especially true when working with juveniles and other diversionary programs.

The Legal: Where can voters go for more information about you?

Rongaus: https://www.rongausforjudge.com