Barrett issued the following written statement as part of his announcement.
"I will run for re-election as district attorney. I humbly ask the people of Bradford County for their support."
"I am proud of what has been done over the last seven years. We have shown that we can bring cases to trial and win convictions. We have been able to reduce some of the logjams in case management with the combined efforts of my staff, the police, and the courts. Their professionalism and cooperation help expedite the heavy caseload."
"The work is complicated and very demanding. It is also very stimulating, because we are good at it."
Some of the progress that has been particularly satisfying is:
1. Taking more cases to trial and winning convictions, we have been able to raise the level of pleas and sentences. The results give more defendants more reasons to plead guilty. It helps us identify weaknesses and areas for improvement.
2. We have given special attention to sex crimes, particularly where the young are victims. We've won a remarkable string of trial convictions on sex cases.
3. We have identified and reduced bottlenecks in the process of handling cases. We have also been able to streamline many of our office practices.
4. We are as vigorous in trying cases as any county, according to information from state agencies.
5. We have upheld all standards in integrity in our work.
For those new to the area, I will mention my background. In 2007 and 2011, I was nominated by both parties for the office, with the support of more than 70% of the voters, and without losing a ward.
For 30 years I practiced law in Athens, handling the whole range of needs and problems of people in the area. I served a term as district attorney in the 1980s , when the position was part time. I am admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York, and the United State Supreme Court and have the trial experience and training for death penalty defense certification.
I served the Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board as a hearing committee (judge) for the maximum six years.
This year the PA Supreme Court appointed me to its 15 member committee on revisions to criminal procedural rules.
The Federal Department of Justice had me speak on local impact of crime issues from the energy boom. I also gave a repeat presentation in New York, speaking to state legislators on heroin and state police issues.
As president of the Bradford County Bar Association, I arranged a public showing of a documentary film about the Luzerne County Juvenile Court Problems.
I reside in Athens with my wife Janice. We have three grown daughters, Catherine, a lawyer in Washington, DC; Emily, in business in Doylestown, PA; and Laura, a doctor in the US Navy in Norfolk, VA. We have been active in our church and community matters, including Rotary International and Boy Scouts of America.
I am a native of the Towanda area where my family has farmed for over 170 years. I graduated from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law School.