MEDIA, PA – It takes a strong sense of justice and a sharp mind to be a prosecutor, in addition to perseverance, qualities for which Hellenes are renowned. On January 5 Stavroula Kotrotsios took up the challenge when she was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney for the DA’s Office of Delaware County, PA.

The Honorable Judge Richard M. Capelli of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas swore in Kotrotsios, who vowed to uphold the laws of the Commonwealth and her duties as an ADA with fidelity and respect as admiring friends and family looked on.

Kotrotsios was born and raised in Delaware County and she studied Philosophy and Political Science at Villanova University where she graduated Cum Laude. She also attended Oxford University as a visiting scholar and earned a JD from Temple University.

Kotrotsios had long looked forward to attending law school, but when she finally arrived there, criminal law was the farthest thing from her mind.

When she was offered summer internships with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, her longstanding commitment to public service and her curiosity drove her to “try it out,” she told TNH.

The first summer she worked with very senior ADA’s prosecuting high profile cases in the Special Investigations Unit. “It was a remarkable experience,” she said. Her colleagues were prosecuting a landmark case of child abuse cover ups at high levels of the Catholic Church.

She was present for the closing arguments. “It was an inspiring moment…just to be close to the ADAs who prosecuted a case that had such an impact on society and the world was amazing,” she said.

Justice also became personal that summer when someone stole her telephone.

She ran after the perpetrator down the street – the soccer, basketball and lacrosse conditioning from her high school team days came in handy – and soon police officers joined the chase.

“We were running through the streets and train stations and they ended up apprehending him at the next stop.”

The following year she was in a program that actually placed interns in courtrooms, where they helped prosecute cases. “I was doing preliminary hearings for felonies, including drug dealing and aggravated assault cases, and I was also doing trials for misdemeanors before judges,” she said.

Kotrotsios recalled telling herself, “If this is what one summer does for me I wonder what a career would be like,” and never looked back.

As a devoted Hellene, she was tempted by internships at the U.S. Embassy in Greece, but she turned them down because she knew she really wanted to be a prosecutor.

“I fell in love with it and since then it is all I wanted to do and now I work in Delaware County where I grew up and I am honored to serve there,” she told TNH.

Paul Kotrotsios, who is a Greek-American community leader at the national and local level, and his wife Linda could not be more proud and enthused. “Three counties made her offers and she chose the one which is close to our house,” he said, adding she is a hardworking individual, and once she makes up her mind, that’s it…she loves going to work; every day brings a new challenge.”

Her sisters Aphrodite and Ioanna are also excited for her – as are her Facebook friends. “She has already had 11,900 hits,” her father said.