Biography
On January 4, 2010 Joshua Lamancusa was sworn in as the duly elected District Attorney of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. District Attorney Lamancusa leads an office of professional prosecutors and detectives dedicated to the pursuit of justice and the protection of the people of Lawrence County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Lawrence County and the head of the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Special Investigations Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit and the Sexual Assault Task Force. District Attorney Lamancusa presently serves as a member of the Lawrence County Prison Board, a board member for the Lawrence County Animal Relief Fund, a board member for the United Way of Lawrence County and a board member of the New Visions Organization. He also serves as a team member of the Lawrence County Drug and Mental Health Court, the Children’s Advocacy Multi-Disciplinary Team and is the founder of the “Jail to Job’s” reentry program and neighborhood revitalization “Project Oasis.” District Attorney Lamancusa was the recipient of the 2010 Lawrence County Crisis Shelter Peace Award, the 2011 Pennsylvania State Senate Commendation for Prosecutorial Initiatives and the 2011 Pennsylvania State Senate Commendation for Narcotics Policing conducted by his Special Investigations Unit. In 2012 District Attorney Lamancusa was awarded the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Award, American Legion Post 343 Special Award for Outstanding and Dedicated Service and American Legion Post 343 Distinguished Citizen’s Award. During that same year he was named as a Forty Under Forty Honoree by the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce, received TOP GUN Certification from the Pennsylvania State Police and was awarded a Pennsylvania Narcotics Officer Association Award. District Attorney Lamancusa has received the NAACP President’s Award from the Lawrence County NAACP chapter and was named a Neshannock High School Distinguished Alumnus and recipient of the Elks Citizenship Award. In 2018 District Attorney Lamancusa was a nominee to fill the vacant Unites States Attorney position for the Western District of Pennsylvania and received the 2018 YMCA Salute to Courage Award. District Attorney Lamancusa presently maintains membership in the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association, National Technical Investigations Association, Pennsylvania Narcotics Officers Association, Recovery Coalition, Lawrence County Police Chief’s Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Italian American War Veterans, Kiwanis Club, Elks Association, Sons of Italy, Lawrence County Law Day Committee and the Butz Scholarship Committee. District Attorney Lamancusa is a former Naval Officer and member of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Joshua Lamancusa was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania on June 4, 1973. He attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon National Fraternity and Denison University Football Team. He was active in campus government holding several elected positions, including Student Body Vice President, Chair of the Board of Co-Governors, and Chair of the Committee on Residential Life. In 1995, he was the sole recipient of the Nelson Griely Award for Campus Leadership and he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Economics. In 1995, he attended The Ohio State University located in Columbus, Ohio, to pursue a Masters Degree in Finance and in 1996, applied for admission to and was accepted into Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. Joshua earned his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in 1999, and during his law school tenure was a member of Case Western Reserve’s National Moot Court Team, a Staff Editor for the Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine, and an Appellate Brief Advisor.
In 1999, Joshua was accepted into the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG Corps) and was commissioned the rank of Ensign. He attended Officer Indoctrination School and Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. Ensign Lamancusa was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and was stationed at Trial Service Office East at Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia. Naval Station Norfolk is the largest naval base in the world and the Trial Service Office East is the busiest prosecution office in the U.S. Navy.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Lamancusa promoted through the chain of command and was designated a Trial Counsel Team Leader, responsible for the supervision and prosecution of all cases assigned to a team of 3 full time prosecutors and 2 paralegals. He excelled in this leadership position and shortly thereafter; Lieutenant Junior Grade Lamancusa was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and was named Assistant Chief Trial Counsel. He was responsible for all case prosecutions at Naval Station Norfolk, as well as for the supervision of 11 full time prosecutors, 4 paralegals and 2 civilians.
Lieutenant Lamancusa completed his three-year tour of duty in Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to the Navy Legal Service Command in Naples, Italy. He was assigned the role of defense counsel and was placed in charge of the Command’s Claims Department. Lieutenant Lamancusa managed the Naples office and four branch offices located in England, Spain, Sicily and Bahrain. While on active duty Lieutenant Lamancusa received numerous awards and commendations including two (2) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two (2) Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the National Defense Medal, Oversea Service Ribbon and various weapon medals.
In 2005, then Lieutenant Commander Lamancusa resigned his active duty commission and returned to Lawrence County to begin private practice. He maintained a general practice, specializing in criminal and civil litigation. He was and continues to be active in numerous community organizations, including the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was formerly the Solicitor and a Member of the Board of Directors for the United Way; a member of the Board of Trustees for the New Castle Public Library, a part-time professor at Central Texas College and Butler Community College. He has served both the Pennsylvania and Lawrence County Bar Associations as a Zone Delegate, and Chair of the Executive Committee for the Young Lawyers Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He maintains a license to practice law in Pennsylvania, Ohio and the 3rd Circuit of the Western District Federal Court.