Churchill Lawyer, Army Reservist, Seeks District Judge Post

In Tuesday’s primary election for district magistrate 05-2-08, which covers Forest Hills, Churchill, Chalfant, Braddock Hills and Swissvale, voters have no dearth of local politicians to choose from.

With incumbent and former Churchill council member , Swissvale Mayor , Swissvale Borough Council President and Vice President all cross-filing as both Democrats and Republicans, and Richard Jordan running as a Democrat, it takes a little work to stand out from the crowd.

Which is why, if you tune into KDKA radio between now and Tuesday, you might hear David K. Trautman reciting his qualifications over a track of patriotic music. According to the campaign spot, Trautman became dedicated to serving the public somewhere between earning the rank of Eagle Scout as a boy and deciding to run for district magistrate this year.

“This is my first dabble into politics,” said Trautman, 47, of Churchill, who has owned a private law practice since 2000.

But being a newcomer to politics doesn’t worry him, he said. A colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves who holds a law degree from Duquesne University and served on active duty in both combat and trial defense from 1989 to 1992, Trautman said his experience sets him apart in the race.

“I was always interested in how our society works and stays together and continues to grow, and it really starts at the community level,” Trautman said. “Over the years, I’ve prosecuted cases, I’ve defended cases, and now I see an opportunity for me to be of more public service—and that is to serve as a local magistrate.”

Trautman cross-filed as both Democrat and Republican in the primary. And while doing so has practical benefits, he said, it represents his bipartisan ideology as well.

“With the way this country has gone in the last few years—economically, especially—people are tired of the same old ways of doing business: the ‘us versus them,’ the finger pointing,” he said. “A lot of people more and more are voting for the best candidates, as opposed to just pulling the lever for the old party line.”

Born in McKeesport, Trautman settled in Forest Hills, where he lived for 16 years before moving to Churchill this past December. He lives with his wife, Claudia, and daughters Elise, 7, and Greta, 2.

In addition to his law degree from Duquesne, Trautman holds bachelor’s degrees in English and German from Washington & Jefferson College and graduated from the Army’s Command and General Staff College.

During his military service, he was stationed in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. In his current reserve capacity, Trautman said he serves as the operations and training officer, and with his staff trains roughly 1,700 Army lawyers who are on reserve.

Trautman said that along with his experience, he would bring compassion and understanding to the court.

“You have to listen to the facts of the case, and you have to apply the law,” he said. “But somewhere in between, especially at the community level, you have to inject a human element.”

Trautman gave an example of a scenario where a juvenile appears in court for breaking curfew repeatedly but has made an effort to alter that behavior.

“The law says otherwise, but the human element maybe rises a little bit above that, and you can give that person another chance,” he said.

That’s not to say he would be soft on offenders, Trautman added.

“The law must be obeyed, and that’s what everybody else is paying their taxes for,” he said. “Ultimately, we are a society of the rule of law, and at some point that rule of law has to be upheld.”

In fact, he said he favors a program he referred to as “scared straight,” where juvenile offenders who repeat their behavior after intervention and community service would spend part of a day in the county jail to see first-hand the potential consequences of legal disobedience.

“If you save one child, it’s worth it,” he said. “I would certainly continue what’s in effect now, but I believe it can be even more effective.”

As for his chances in Tuesday’s primary, Trautman said he’s confident. He’s run a clean campaign, he said, and hopes voters will respond to his experience.

“The other candidates—I don’t know, I’m sure they’re great Americans—but if you talk to me, if you look at my background, I know that I have the most experience. I know that I can do the best job.”