Retired police chief running for district magistrate
Sean Smith, a retired police officer who lives in Nesquehoning, is running for district magistrate.
Smith, who was a former Nesquehoning police chief with more than 27 years service in law enforcement in Carbon County, is running for the magistrate judge seat for District Court 56-3-03 in Lansford. Casimir T. Kosciolek is the district judge now but has announced he is retiring.
Smith is a Lehighton High School graduate and has lived in the Panther Valley area since 1997.
He is an active member of the Nesquehoning Hose Company #1 as well as the Fraternal Order of Police Carbon/Schuylkill Lodge #13.
Smith said in a news release he has been active in volunteering for various nonprofit groups including sports and school activities, as well as fundraising efforts for numerous organizations.
He graduated with his Act 120 certification from Lackawanna Junior College in 1994 and attended Penn State Outreach Justice and Safety Institute.
He was the chief of the Nesquehoning Police Department for 21 years. Before that he was a detective in the Lansford Police Department.
Smith said the knowledge he gained from executing search warrants, criminal arrests and summary hearings equip him with expert knowledge of the due process of law. He said he has done extensive work with the current and former district attorneys, which is also a benefit to the residents of the district.
Smith said that he is committed to applying the law to narcotic crimes committed in the district as his top priority. He said his work with all the local district magistrates has given him the experience of the court system that is a valuable asset to the office.
Smith said he promises to uphold the statutes and law established by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania while being a fair, impartial judge in the position.
Smith lives in Nesquehoning with his wife of 25 years Suzanne (Sabol), originally of Lansford. They have three daughters - Victoria, Kailee and Kamryne - and a granddaughter, Emerson, who all live in the area.