Full Biography for Joyce Allegro

Joyce Allegro is the second of four children born to Sylvester and Gladys Allegro. Her early years were spent in Kansas City, Kansas. As a child, Joyce was involved in music, studying piano and singing. She attended the University of Wichita, where she received her B.A. in Spanish. After marriage, Joyce taught school for a year before taking time to raise her children. The family moved to California and settled in the Willow Glen area of San Jose in 1973. She resumed her education, and graduated cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law in 3 years. Joyce's four children attended St. Christophers elementary school. Her daughter Jennifer continued at Presentation High School, and later received her B.S.N. from Creighton University. Each of Joyce's three sons, Gregory, Mitchell and Kevin, attended Bellermine College Preparatory, then U.C.L.A.

Jennifer and her husband Greg, an anesthesiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, live nearby in Saratoga with their four children, Patrick, Megan, Connor and Logan. Mama Joyce is a frequent babysitter!

Gregory earned his B.S. in math and applied science (molecular biology) with a computer science emphasis, graduating with college honors. He has his own software development company in Sunnyvale.

While earning his mechanical engineering degree, Mitchell had the memorable opportunity of living and working in France during his junior year. He now works for Western Digital in San Jose.

Kevin received his B.A. in political science and business. He lives in Moscow, Russia, where he is working in the financial industry.

Joyce joined the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office after graduating with honors from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1976 and quickly advanced to a felony trial assignment. After two and one-half years, Joyce went to work for a large law firm representing management in labor relations issues but found that she missed the challenges and rewards of being a trial prosecutor. She returned to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office in 1982 , where she has remained.

Joyce is a top-flight trial attorney. In 1984, she was the first woman assigned to the Homicide Team where she stayed for four years, successfully prosecuting several homicide cases including the first death penalty verdict the office had had in five years. Joyce then became the team leader of the Robbery-Assault Team, then the supervisor of the Central Misdemeanor Team and Domestic Violence, and finally, Assistant District Attorney in charge of Misdemeanors and Domestic Violence.

In 1992, Joyce returned to the Homicide Team to retry a case which had been reversed by the California Supreme Court. A great deal of the evidence from the first trial was suppressed and few people thought Joyce could successfully prosecute Brenda Otto and Marvin Mark again for murdering Joseph Otto, Brenda's husband. However, both defendants were convicted of first degree murder. For this achievement, Joyce received the Napoleon J. Menard Award, given annually to the most outstanding trial attorney in the District Attorney's office.

Joyce received the award again in 1996 when she successfully prosecuted Thomas O'Donnell for the brutal murder of 88 year old Gertrude McCabe. This 1983 homicide was considered so weak it was not issued until 1991, and few thought O'Donnell would be convicted as the evidence of guilt was totally circumstantial. Joyce is only the second attorney to receive the award twice.

Joyce also received the Prosecuter of the Year Award in 1996 from a national victim's rights organization, Citizens Against Homicide, for her outstanding legal abilities and sensitivity working with victims and their families.

For the past fifteen years, Joyce has worked tirelessly to educate other attorneys, the police, judges and the community at large about the horrors of domestic violence. She advocated for a special team in the D.A.'s office to handle D.V. cases and was its first supervisor. Several women fervantly believe that Joyce saved their lives by aggressively prosecuting their batterers. She has been on the Board of Directors at the Support Network for Battered Women for six years, and recently completed her second term as chair. She is an active member of several committees of the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Council.

Joyce continues to prosecute some of the most difficult and complex homicide cases in the D.A.'a office.

In spite of her stressful career, Joyce spends as much time as possible with her family. She regularly enjoys local entertainment and arts activities, particularly the San Jose Symphony and Opera San Jose. She is a member of Saint Christophers parish in Willow Glen, and volunteers her time to various community causes.