The DA's Office also maintains court records that are open to the public. 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.. Thomas's law. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is taking up a case against the wife of Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas stemming from a domestic incident last month.. Senior Judge . Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is taking a leave of absence from his post to focus on the criminal case against him, but he is not resigning, his attorney said Friday.. Using the official letterhead of his . Thomas told The Tribune-Democrat he has dealt with Dickey both while working as a defense attorney and during his time in the DA's office and is "impressed with his knowledge of the law and his courtroom acumen.". A well-known defense attorney will represent Thomas in a Cambria County criminal case paid with taxpayer dollars. 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 him during a domestic dispute, a letter obtained by The Tribune-Democrat indicates. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A bill introduced by a Lycoming County Republican state senator in early 2021 after a northern Pennsylvania prosecutor was charged with unrelated sex crimes was signed into law in November 2021, requiring elected prosecutors to hold active law licenses while in office. In Somerset County, the district attorney is paid by the county with 65% of the salary being reimbursed by the state. 2023 County Office. Jeffrey Thomas Pittsburgh-based defense attorney, Ryan Tutera, declined comment when reached about the letter. It is expected to be on Gov. The letter bears Thomas' signature under his office's letterhead and is dated Sept. 13 before the state Office of . 0:36. The District Attorney heads the Somerset Prosecutor's Office, directing the attorneys who work for the office. Find 6 District Attorney Offices within 46.4 miles of Somerset County District Attorney. Somerset County District Court: 410-845-4700: Somerset County Parole & Probation: 410-651-2211: . Dickey also filed a motion to postpone trial until a future term of court, online court records show. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is committed to fulfilling these constitutional and statutory mandates as well as strengthening law enforcement's relations with the public, enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Somerset County, ensuring the rights of crime victims, to be treated with fairness, compassion and respect, are But certain redacted messages were questioned Friday, with Lurie asking to review them based on the belief the woman could be talking in code about details related to the case. Address and Phone Number for Somerset County District Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at East Union Street, Somerset PA. View map of Somerset County District Attorney, and get driving directions from your location. The bill addresses what happens to district attorneys who havetheir law licensesuspended or become disbarred. Krumenacker had no additional comment on the matter. 420 wouldamendPennsylvania's county codes concerning qualifications for the office of district attorney. SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) A Somerset County man is facing a slew of felony charges after authorities said he sold meth and heroin in the area over the past several years. Conflicts of interestwith the ethics law, he added,area little different from what the standard conflict of interest might be. The District Attorney heads the Somerville Prosecutor's Office, directing the attorneys who work for the office. Wess Garner - State's Attorney Kendra Hayward - Deputy State's Attorney Kristen Boston - Assistant State's Attorney Brittany Collins - Assistant State's Attorney. You have permission to edit this article. get driving directions from your location, US Department of Justice - US Attorneys Website. Haft wrote that despite the actions taken by the disciplinary board and county officials, Thomas remains the duly elected district attorney of Somerset County, and he was neither impeached nor did he resign the only permissible reasons to cut his pay, Haft argued. 2023 County Office. Sheriff's Office Somerset County Jail. Schaffer said she could not discuss that process involving Thomas due to privacy guidelines but that it was "deemed that he qualified," saying she was unable to elaborate. Metzgar's position as first assistant assistant district attorney is toremain vacant. Calls for district attorney's resignation? The DA's Office also maintains court records that are open to the public. Find 6 District Attorney Offices within 25.8 miles of Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney. Do you plan to save or spend your 2022 income tax refund. Find 7 external resources related to Somerset County District Attorney. Sep. 8SOMERSET, Pa. Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is suing the county for suspending his salary and benefits. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. Act 88 of 2021, signed into law by Pennsylvania Gov. Roles are changing in the Somerset County District Attorney's Office, which is welcoming some new personnel. "I think it certainly raises the issue of whether or not that action constitutes a conflict of interest under the Rules of Professional Conduct," said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Creany indicated he will review the conversations in question and listen to each sides arguments before deciding whether those messages are relevant. The Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney, located in Somerville, NJ, is an agency that prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the Somerville government. Attorneys Ryan Tutera and Eric Jackson Lurie did not go into detail in court Friday about the specifics of the medical review. A "rule to show cause" has been in place for Thomas since Sept. 30. High 63F. Wolf has the option of signing the bill into law, vetoing the bill or letting it ride for 10 days at which point it will automatically become Pennsylvania law. And it could immediately affect the pay of Somerset District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas. A discovery motion was filed last week a common step seeking information gathered by prosecutors while building their case. It is expected tobe on Gov. The act requires district attorneys to hold an active law license while in office. 420 into law that amended the state's county codes concerning qualification for the office of district attorney. Your Profile? On Oct. 27,the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania listed his license as temporarily suspended. The lawsuit may be the first legal challenge to the state's District Attorney Modernization Act, which Somerset County officials pointed to as a law they had to comply with when they took the step to suspend Thomas' pay in 2021. In Somerset County, the district attorney is paid by the county with 65% of the salary being reimbursed by the state. About Us Contact Us In situations when a public defender deems someone is not qualified or signals that there is a conflict preventing them from representing a client, the county's president judge has a final say. Citizens charged with crimes have a constitutional right to an attorney in the United States. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. Susan Mankamyer, of Boswell, is another of Somerset Countys district judges. Find 8 external resources related to Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney. . get driving directions from your location, US Department of Justice - US Attorneys Website, Somerset County Court Records (Pennsylvania), Somerset County Court of Common Pleas Court Records, Somerset County District Attorney Arraignment Records, Somerset County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Website. Here's the latest for Monday November 29th: COVID-19 omicron variant found in more countries; Flooding in Washington state; Major abortion rights case goes to Supreme Court; Jewish festival of Hannukah begins. Follow him on Twitter @TDDavidHurst and Instagram @TDDavidHurst. Somerset County District Attorney Contact Information. 30500 Prince William St. Princess Anne, Md. District Attorney District Attorney's Office 41 Court St. Skowhegan, ME 04976 Ph: 207-474-2423 Fx: 207-474-7407 Staff Directory. 21853Phone:410.651.3333Fax:410.651.3453Attorneys, Wess Garner - State's AttorneyKendra Hayward -Deputy State's AttorneyKristen Boston - Assistant State's AttorneyBrittany Collins- Assistant State's Attorney, Support StaffChild Support Unit:Alice BromleyBrittney Bozman, Circuit Court:Jacki Bowen-Hill - Secretary, District Court:April Howard- Victim Witness Advocate/ParalegalJuvenile Court:Sandy Atkins - Legal Secretary Supervisor, Somerset County Narcotics Task Force:Patti S. Renshaw - Secretary. This was granted Oct. 6, a day after Somerset County First Assistant District Attorney Molly Metzgar wrote that she and the attorney general's office agreed that keeping jurisdiction in the county would constitute a conflict of interest. Ellich on Twitter at @dajudye. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. The bill requires a district attorney to hold an active law license while in office. Terms and Conditions. Simple assault and harassment charges. Thomas's total pay for 2021 was scheduled to be $185,665. 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. Ellich on Twitter at @dajudye. "(Thomas) believes and avers that the defendants' action in stripping away pay and benefits was done without due process of law, as (Thomas) has maintained his innocence relating to all charges against him," the lawsuit says. 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. This letter was later released to other media by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. 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