It’s official. Katayoun M. “Kat” Copeland was sworn in on January 24th to serve as the county’s district attorney, filling a vacancy created by the election of former District Attorney John J. Whelan to the bench.
“I am honored to be chosen by the Delaware County Board of Judges as the next District Attorney,” said the former Assistant U.S. Attorney in a prepared statement Jan. 5. “For a quarter of a century, I have made the pursuit of justice my life’s work, and look forward to continuing those efforts by leading the brave men and women of law enforcement, our committed prosecutors and our partner community agencies, who are all dedicated to serving the residents of Delaware County.”
6 Things To Know About Her:
- Copeland is the daughter of an Iranian mother and American father
- She was born in Upper Darby, but lived in Iran from 1973 to 1980
- Her late father was arrested on espionage charges and became the first American put on trial in Iran’s Revolutionary Court
- Copeland attended Bryn Mawr College and Temple University’s Beasley School of Law
- She first joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1992, starting out as an assistant district attorney in the trial division. She became chief of drug enforcement in 2000. In 2004, she was promoted to deputy district attorney, all while overseeing terrorism concerns and drug enforcement
- She is the second woman to serve as district attorney in Delaware County, the fifth to serve in the Philadelphia suburbs
