A long-time State College attorney announced his run for Centre County District Attorney.
Bernie Cantorna said he’s running for the position to “restore public trust in fair trials and even-handed law enforcement.”
Cantorna has worked as an attorney in Centre County for 18 years and has more than 25 years of experience. He is currently a partner in Bryant & Cantorna, P.C. and a senior staff member at the Trial Lawyer’s College. Cantorna is also head coach of the State College High School Girls’ Rugby team and defensive coach for the Penn State Women’s Rugby team.
Cantorna said, “Politics will not play any role in my office. If elected, my office will work professionally with law enforcement, judges, lawyers, and courthouse staff. Violent offenders will be prosecuted aggressively, while non-violent first offenders may be channeled into diversion programs and treatment geared toward rehabilitation.”
In January 2015, Cantorna asked the Centre County Commissioners for an investigation into allegations of forgery made against current District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller.
After Cantorna’s announcement of his running for the district attorney position, Parks Miller released a statement saying, “Now we know why he and his cronies falsely and maliciously accused me of a crime; to get me out of the way because he covets the job for himself.”
Cantorna tells WTAJ he’s “disappointed that an announcement would lead to the tone and the tactics that the District Attorney has chosen to use.”
He said, “I intend to run a campaign based on the issues and what will work best for our legal system and Centre County.”
