Woman, whose attorney refused representation amid dispute with Allegheny Co. DA, pleads guilty to DUI crash

A Corliss woman whose case became embroiled in the controversy between a Black defense attorney and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to drunken driving-related charges with a new attorney by her side.

Vanessa Williams, 59, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while driving under the influence and DUI, stemming from a vehicle collision with a pedestrian in Millvale just after midnight on March 31, 2019.

According to the criminal complaint, officers found Melissa Mondron lying on the ground and believed she had been struck and then crushed between her car and Williams’.

The complaint said Mondron appeared to have two broken legs and a deep laceration.

Mondron had been putting laundry into the back of her vehicle, police said, when Williams made a left turn off of North Avenue onto Grant Avenue and struck her.

Williams said she had had two drinks at a bar earlier, and a breath test showed her blood alcohol level at 0.17%.

During Wednesday’s plea hearing before Common Pleas Judge Anthony M. Mariani., Williams was represented by Allegheny County Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan.

Previously, Milton Raiford was her attorney. However, at a hearing for another client on May 13, Raiford told Mariani that he believed that the DA’s office was “systematically racist.”

Raiford’s comments led to Zappala issuing an email to his deputy prosecutors, forbidding them from offering any plea deals to Raiford or his clients.

When the Tribune-Review reported Zappala’s email, ethics experts and legal advocacy groups criticized the long-time district attorney. Raiford, who said he was offended by Zappala’s actions, refused to participate in a June 9 hearing in Williams’ case, saying he would not do so until Zappala met with him, resigned or recused himself from all of Raiford’s cases.

After imploring Raiford to represent Williams and fulfill his duty as her attorney, Mariani removed Raiford from the case and appointed Dugan.

The following day, Raiford apologized to the court and asked to continue representing Williams, but Mariani said he felt he could not allow it. He invited all of the parties to file written briefs on the issue.

But on Wednesday, Williams told the court that she wanted to continue with Dugan as her attorney. Raiford was not present.

“I don’t think the issue with Mr. Raiford is an issue at all anymore,” Dugan said.

“You were caught in the middle of this mess,” the judge told Williams.

She will be sentenced Sept. 28.