A well-known defense attorney will represent Thomas in a Cambria County criminal case paid with taxpayer dollars. You can now search cases from Circuit Court and District Court online. The Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney, located in Somerville, NJ, is an agency that prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the Somerville government. Terms and Conditions. Krumenacker had no additional comment on the matter. The Daily American obtained a copy of the letter from the county by filing a Right-to-Know request. Thomas's law license was suspended, which means he still has his license minusthe privileges that go along with it. Currently, there is no requirement that a person elected to the office of district attorney possess an active license to practice law at the time of entering office, which SB 420 will require, Sen. Yaw said in a statement on his website. Suggest Listing A day after the disciplinary counsel's ruling, Somerset County President Judge D. Gregory Geary issued an administrative order that galvanized the temporary suspension of the law license of Thomas. . The charges were filed against her on Sept. 13 the same date listed on Thomass letter. Ellich on Twitter at @dajudye. William Cline of Somerset, a former county assistant district attorney in the early 2000s, and Sydney Bender of Patton, who is an associate attorney at the Law Office of Michael A. Sossong in Ebensburg, and has been a licensed attorney since 2015, are to be paid $32,000 annually. Suspended Somerset DA's sexual assault trial continued to 2023. According to court dockets, the rule to show cause means that a lawyer must respond to the disciplinary arm of the state Supreme Courton an inquiry ofa matter brought before it, usually it in the form of a complaint about a lawyer's conduct. The order prohibits Thomas performing any legal actions in the courthouse and basically reduced his presence to that of an observer. In a Nov. 29 letter to Somerset County solicitor Michael Barbera,the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association noted that there is no state law makinga "distinction regarding salary or anything else for that matter between an 'acting' district attorney who serves pursuant to Act 88, and a district attorney who serves pursuant to an election other type of appointment.". . High 63F. 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Robert Caruso, executive director, State Ethics Commission, said he can't addressspecific cases or situationsunless his agency has issued adjudication against aperson. Jeff Thomas is on a leave of absence amid a series of charges, including rape, that were filed by statepolice Sept. 18. SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Somerset County district attorney will face a jury of his peers with additional charges. If Thomas's law license suspension is revoked by the disciplinary board and ratified by the state Supreme Court, then Metzgar will no longer be acting district attorney andwouldreturn to the first assistantposition. The county commissioners promoted Thomas Leiden of Ebensburg, aformer Cambria County solicitor and assistant district attorney, from part-time district attorney in Somerset County to full-time assistant district attorney effective Tuesday at $59,703 annually. The law, identified as. Services for Citizens. State rules on criminal procedure dictate that a case against a defendant must go to trial within a year of the date charges were filed in this case, by September. David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Privacy Policy David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. All rights reserved. Sun and clouds mixed. All rights reserved. 420 into law that amended the state's county codes concerning qualification for the office of district attorney. I do thank my colleagues for their support and would have voted for the measure if I was able to.". CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General received jurisdiction this week to prosecute the domestic assault case, as well as the separate rape case filed a week later against Jeffrey Thomas. In the meantime, the short-staffed district attorney's office which still does not have a clerk has added hires and seen changed roles for those who remain. Find 5 District Attorney Offices within 46.4 miles of Somerset County District Attorney. 420 wouldamendPennsylvania's county codes concerning qualifications for the office of district attorney. All Rights Reserved. Also on Tuesday, two new part-time assistant district attorneys were hired to be part of the county's prosecutorialteam. The act requires district attorneys to hold an active law license while in office. The first assistant district attorney would become the acting district attorney pending reinstatement of the elected district attorney, or until the end of the elected district attorneys current term. He now works as anadjunct professor at Widener Law Commonwealth, where heteaches professional responsibility and ethics. As with any pending litigation, I cannot comment on it," Barbera said, "but obviously, the county will be filing a response.". Thedisciplinary board does not issue information about the specifics of why a license is suspended. 0:05. The law also provides that in a case of temporary suspension, such as the sanction Thomas received, the first assistant will act as district attorney if willing, qualified and able. That step will now have to be conducted again in early November as a preliminary step toward seating a panel of 12 jurors in January, he said. By that point, Thomas had already taken a voluntary leave from his role overseeing the Somerset County District Attorney's Office, but continued receiving his pay for his $185,000-a-year job. David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. 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"The District Attorney's Office, although located in the courthouse, is not under county commissioners' supervision, nor is it part of the . Address and Phone Number for Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at PO Box 3000, Somerville NJ. "So it could be argued that if a public official takes an action that financially benefits a relative, that can be construed as a financial benefit as a result the family member not (having)to incur legal expenses, pay a fine, something along that line.. Somerset County DA tried to have charges against wife dropped, letter indicates. Simple assault and harassment charges. County solicitor Michael Barbera saidthe suspension of Thomas's pay and all benefits, including insurance, took effectNov. 26 when First Assistant District Attorney Molly Metzgar was sworn in as the acting district attorney. Itprecludes an individual from continuing to serve as district attorney without an active law license. "Whether or not it does is something the disciplinary board would determine.". Reporters Eric Kieta and Judy D.J. Somerset County D.A. SOMERSET, Pa. - Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey L. Thomas sought to have charges against his wife dropped last month, soon after she was accused by Windber police of assaulting. Senate Bill No. Tutera has told reporters that Jeffrey Thomas is taking a leave of absence from his post, but not resigning. Find 6 District Attorney Offices within 25.8 miles of Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney. In Somerset, the District Attorney plays a central role in criminal cases, working with police to decide whether to bring charges and prosecuting the case in court. The District Attorney heads the Skowhegan Prosecutor's Office, directing the attorneys who work for the office. The board consists ofthe commissioners and Somerset County Treasurer Donna Matsko Schmitt. 410-651-9225: Somerset County State's Attorney's Office: 410-651-3333: Maryland Judiciary Case Search. 30500 Prince William St.Princess Anne, Md. 420 when asked if the county was going to address the pay for Thomas since he has been shut out of any legal work in the courthouse and his office until the criminal case against him is resolved. Attorneys Ryan Tutera and Eric Jackson Lurie did not go into detail in court Friday about the specifics of the medical review. Mankamyer was out of the office when contacted. Copy and paste this code into your website. All Rights Reserved. The Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney, located in Somerville, NJ, is an agency that prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the Somerville government. To qualify for public-paid representation, an individual first must file an application with the public defender's office in the county where he or she is charged, outlining his or her financial status, Cambria County Public Defender Maribeth Schaffer said.
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