Thomas has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and has said he plans to defend himself at trial. David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. The DA's Office also maintains court records that are open to the public. Krumenacker had no additional comment on the matter. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Act 88 of 2021, signed into law by Pennsylvania Gov. Since September, Thomas has been fighting charges of sexual assault, with the Pennsylvania Office ofAttorney Generalis prosecuting the case. . Somerset County District Attorney's Office Mar 2020 - Oct 2021 1 year 8 months. 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. On Oct. 27,the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania listed the law license of District Attorney Jeff Thomas as temporarily suspended,but did not name the cause for that action. The board consists ofthe commissioners and Somerset County Treasurer Donna Matsko Schmitt. Thomas was elected as Somerset County's district attorney in 2019, but cannot oversee the office or operate as an attorney due to a state law and the fact his law license is suspended. Follow Judy D.J. In Somerset County, the district attorney is paid by the county with 65% of the salary being reimbursed by the state. A letter to District Judge Bill Seger of Windber indicates that Somerset County District Attorney Jeff Thomas attempted to intervene in his wife's case.. The Somerset County District Attorney, located in Somerset, PA, is an agency that prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the Somerset government. Reaction: Calls for district attorney's resignation? Johnstown Magazine is a positive and forward-thinking monthly publication for the people of our region. David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Middlesex County District Attorney's Office prosecutes crimes in the following cities and towns: Acton, Arlington, Ashby, Ashland, Ayer, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica . 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. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. Find Court Records related to Somerset County District Attorney. His attorney, Ryan Tutera of Pittsburgh, returned a phone call requesting comment on the letter, but had no comment on the matter. 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. Thomas is accused of assaulting his wife last year on the way home from a Johnstown bar an act both he and his wife maintain did not occur. 2023 County Office. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Thomas sought help after his initial attorney in that case, Joe Otte, was given court approval in August to step down from the case for reasons protected by attorney-client privilege. Copy and paste this code into your website. It is expected tobe on Gov. 2023 County Office. The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association stated in a letter to Barbera, who received it Monday evening, that Metzgar "is entitled as a matter of law to receive the same compensation (as Thomas received).". Mostly crickets in Somerset County. Investigators said Thomas strangled her during the act before she was able to escape and that he agreed to leave after she promised she would not contact the police. 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.. A "rule to show cause" has been in place for Thomas since Sept. 30. Conflicts of interestwith the ethics law, he added,area little different from what the standard conflict of interest might be. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. The county courts, up to this point, have sought outside judges to handle matters involving Thomas in order to avoid conflicts of interest, because he handled cases through the local court system for two years in his role as district attorney. The bill specifically pinpoints district attorneys, Osenbach said, partly because a "district attorney is held to a higher standard.". Thomas was on house arrest for part of the year and told court officials in Somerset County that he couldn't "fend for himself" or his family in May. "Please accept this correspondence as the Somerset County District Attorney's Office request to withdraw the pending criminal charges in the above-captioned matter," JeffThomas had written. Tom Wolf's deskas earlyas Monday. Somerset County DA tried to have charges against wife dropped, letter indicates. The Pennsylvania State Police said the Somerset County district attorney, Jeffrey L. Thomas, was charged with rape, indecent and simple assault, strangulation and criminal trespass in. 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. A Westmoreland County woman who said she witnessed the act during a FaceTime video call with Amy Thomas that night contends otherwise. Jeffrey Thomas waived all . Address and Phone Number for Somerset County District Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at East Union Street, Somerset PA. Name Somerset County District Attorney Suggest Edit Address 111 East Union Street Somerset , Pennsylvania , 15501 Phone 814-445-1456 Map of Somerset County District Attorney Reporters Eric Kieta and Judy D.J. 0:36. Find Court Records related to Somerset County Prosecuting Attorney. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Itprecludes an individual from continuing to serve as district attorney without an active law license. Charged: Police: Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas showed up uninvited, raped Windber woman, Protection order: Hearing rescheduled against Somerset County DA Jeffrey Thomas. Sen. Bill No. 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. The criminal complaint against Amy Thomas does not indicate why she allegedly tried to prevent her husband from leaving their residence, but, according to Windber police, she admitted to the act. But the Somerset County Courthouse is a county building. On Oct. 27,the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania listed his license as temporarily suspended. 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. 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. 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. What I mean by that is conflict of interest, as it is defined in the ethics act, is when the public official uses the authority of their position to gain financial benefit or financial benefit for a family member," Caruso said. He is charged with rape, indecent assault, strangulation, simple assault and criminal trespass. Crisfield-Somerset County Airport Advisory Board. Please accept this correspondence as the Somerset County District Attorneys Office request to withdraw the pending criminal charges in the above-captioned matter, Jeffrey Thomas wrote in the brief letter, which bears the subject line RE: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Amy L. Thomas.. Sep. 8SOMERSET, Pa. Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is suing the county for suspending his salary and benefits. The ethics commission deals with public officials who have rules and regulations they need to follow. Somerset County Salary Board members, who alsomet Tuesday, voted to pay Metzgar the same as what was being paid to Thomas, which is a little more than $7,000 per pay period. By doing soThomas has said he is not guilty of the crime. And it could immediately affect the pay of Somerset District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas. Senate Bill No. This letter was later released to other media by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Popularity:#2 of 67 District Attorney Offices in Pennsylvania#198 in District Attorney Offices. Thomas's law licensewas temporarily suspended by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, on Oct. 27. Metzgar's position as first assistant assistant district attorney is toremain vacant. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. . "Ithink that by itself is enough to raise a significant question," Davis said in reference to the letter. "Because of this, the Speaker of the (House) and I agreed that I was unable to vote on the matter pursuant to our House rules. Using the official letterhead of his . In a suit filed Tuesday, a Pittsburgh law. It will assure the citizens that the integrity expected in the office of District Attorney is maintained," Yaw said. Find 12 external resources related to Somerset County District Attorney. Thomas' law license was suspended Oct. 27 by the state Supreme Court following a petition by the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which reviews attorney conduct issues. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Sheriff's Office Somerset County Jail. 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.". "The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office is proud to join the statewide Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) program. After the notification and the responses, the disciplinary board mayschedule a hearing on the matter. The bill addresses what happens to district attorneys who havetheir law licensesuspended or become disbarred. Do you plan to save or spend your 2022 income tax refund. 0:05. "The bill provides needed uniformity and efficiency to current law and for those who discharge the duties of the office. He said the county will review the suit and file a response within the court-mandated 20-day time frame. Terms and Conditions. Using the officialletterhead of his office, Jeff Thomaswrote a memo to Segerdated Sept. 13 informing him that the district attorney'soffice was dropping the charges against AmyThomas. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Somerset County District Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at Court Street, Skowhegan ME. Thomas was elected as Somerset Countys district attorney in 2019, but cannot oversee the office or operate as an attorney due to a state law and the fact his law license is suspended indefinitely. High 63F. Prosecutors have already turned over that information to defense attorneys including all messages between the woman and Thomas and any messages referencing him to other people, as well as other messages, Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Schulte said. You have permission to edit this article. "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.. Follow him on Twitter @TDDavidHurst and Instagram @TDDavidHurst. Calls for district attorney's resignation? The Daily American obtained a copy of the letter from the county by filing a Right-to-Know request. 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