Justice appointed in misconduct case
The president judge of Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas will oversee any motion that might be filed on behalf of District Judge Mark Wilson in Monongahela before he faces a possible trial on allegations of misconduct from his bench.
Wilson has 30 days from March 30 to file an omnibus motion before Judge Michael J. Barrasse, and then another 20 days to an file any answers to the court before Barrasse decides whether the case will proceed to trial, said Robert A. Graci, chief counsel for the state’s Judicial Conduct Board.
“(Barrasse) is like the conductor. He’s driving the train,” Graci said Thursday.
Wilson is charged with violating the rules governing his court and the state Constitution stemming, in part, from him sending Monongahela Mayor Robert Kepics to jail on $5,000 bond in 2012 on a private criminal complaint alleging a theft, which the board said should have been resolved in civil court. The board also found a pattern of Wilson sending defendants to jail on $5,000 bonds for petty crimes. Wilson could be censured by the court, or face a fine, suspension or removal from office.
Meanwhile, Washington County President Judge Katherine B. Emery has removed him from hearing criminal matters while the case is decided.
Wilson’s attorney, Christopher Carusone of Harrisburg, said he won’t discuss his strategy for how he will defend the district judge.
“The key thing is the 30 days,” Carusone said.
He said an omnibus motion is an “all in one” court document that could seek to limit evidence or ask for a dismissal. The 20-day deadline kicks in if Wilson’s omnibus motion is denied.