Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Since Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas II has been charged with felony rape, several questions have emerged about his position, according to court officials. Creany said Friday he was already taking steps to prepare for Thomas trial, with initial questionnaires already sent to 200 potential jurors about the possibility of serving in the case. Lurie also noted the delay will also help because a separate witness for their defense will be traveling overseas due to a sudden death in that persons family. Segers office has referred comments about both the existence of the letter and the Thomas case to the Office of Attorney General. 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. 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. 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. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset/Bedford), who abstained from voting for the bill, explained his position in the following statement. Business Directory; Dispatch Log & Jail Bookings; Somerset County Bicentennial; Activities; One isif the district attorney's law license is is suspended. What:State Supreme Court suspends Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas' law license, Latest:The latest on Somerset County DA: prohibited from any legal action in courthouse, protection order withdrawn, Facing:Attorney general's office amends charges against Somerset County district attorney, State Sen. Pat Stefano (R-Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland), who voted for the bill, said basically the law is in a place of "all procedural. He said the county will review the suit and file a response within the court-mandated 20-day time frame. 420 would amend Pennsylvania's county codes concerning qualifications for the office of district attorney. Follow him on Twitter @TDDavidHurst and Instagram @TDDavidHurst. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has been granted jurisdiction to prosecute a domestic assault case involving Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas and his wife. Find 7 external resources related to Somerset County District Attorney. District Attorney's Office; Register of Probate; Agendas; Minutes; Notify Me; Submit A Request; Employment; County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. Police: Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas showed up uninvited, raped Windber woman, Hearing rescheduled against Somerset County DA Jeffrey Thomas. 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. Amy Thomas, 36, is scheduled for a hearing the following week, on Oct. 25, on her charges from the Sept. 12 incident. . 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Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Somerset County State Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at Prince William Street, Princess Anne MD. 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. Thomas's law. 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. Find 12 external resources related to Somerset County District Attorney. 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. An employee of Seger's office told the Daily American that the magistrate could not comment on the letter. 2023 www.dailyamerican.com. The bill addresses what happens to district attorneys who havetheir law licensesuspended or become disbarred. Privacy Policy By Todd Berkey tberkey@tribdem.com. About Us Contact Us 2023 County Office. Find Court Records related to Somerset County District Attorney. 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. 2023 County Office. The charges were filed against her on Sept. 13 the same date listed on Thomass letter. The law, identified as. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. The District Attorney heads the Somerset Prosecutor's Office, directing the attorneys who work for the office. . 30500 Prince William St. Princess Anne, Md. His pay was also suspended by Somerset Countys Salary Board last fall. 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. All rights reserved. the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, State Supreme Court suspends Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas' law license, Because of a new law, Somerset County DA Jeff Thomas is no longer receiving a paycheck, The latest on Somerset County DA: prohibited from any legal action in courthouse, protection order withdrawn, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A well-known defense attorney will represent Thomas in a Cambria County criminal case paid with taxpayer dollars. Follow Judy D.J. District Attorney District Attorney's Office 41 Court St. Skowhegan, ME 04976 Ph: 207-474-2423 Fx: 207-474-7407 Staff Directory. The first procedure couldimpactSomerset County's beleaguered highest law enforcement officer. The board consists ofthe commissioners and Somerset County Treasurer Donna Matsko Schmitt. Privacy Policy State Supreme Court suspends Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas' law license, The latest on Somerset County DA: prohibited from any legal action in courthouse, protection order withdrawn, Attorney general's office amends charges against Somerset County district attorney, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 21853 Phone: 410.651.3333 Fax: 410.651.3453 Attorneys. It is expected to be on Gov. A "rule to show cause" has been in place for Thomas since Sept. 30. High 63F. Find 6 District Attorney Offices within 46.4 miles of Somerset County District Attorney. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Mankamyer was out of the office when contacted. Tom Wolf on Nov. 17, amended the state's county codes concerning qualifications for the office of district attorney. District Attorney District Attorney's Office 41 Court St. Skowhegan, ME 04976 Ph: 207-474-2423 Fx: 207-474-7407 Staff Directory. This letter was later released to other media by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Sep. 8SOMERSET, Pa. Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is suing the county for suspending his salary and benefits. The DA's Office also maintains court records that are open to the public. He now works as anadjunct professor at Widener Law Commonwealth, where heteaches professional responsibility and ethics. Police said he strangled and sexually assaulted the woman before she was able to escape his grasp and only agreed to leave after she promised not to contact the police. The changes were approved by members of the county salary board Tuesday. "They've weaponized the laws meant to protect victims of domestic violence and manufactured a false claim (against me)," Thomas said last week of prosecutors from the state attorney general's office. (Interim State's Attorney, Sept. 1, 2017 to Jan. 7, 2019). The commonwealth filed a petition to take jurisdiction of Amy Thomas' case Sept. 28. Separate fees are paid for pleas or trials, the fee schedule shows. My bill would also establish safeguards so that the office of district attorney would continue to operate uninterrupted in the event of a suspension of the law license or disbarment from the practice of law of a sitting district attorney.". The case is currently in the early stages of moving toward trial. Sheriff's Office Somerset County Jail. 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. Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas repeatedly contacted a woman and then entered her Windber home uninvited on Saturday before raping her, according to police. . There was a problem saving your notification. The act requires district attorneys to hold an active law license while in office. William Clineof Somerset, a former county assistant district attorney in the early 2000s, and Sydney Benderof 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 tobe paid $32,000 annually. 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).". The delay also means that, barring a resolution to the case prior to trial, the Thomas case would linger into the election year for his county district attorneys office seat. Thomas, 36 . Windber police allege that Amy Thomas scratched her husband and jumped onto his car to prevent him from leaving their home on Sept. 12. Last fall, state police charged Thomas with felony sexual assault and other offenses, saying he entered an acquaintances Windber home despite warnings to stay away. State police charged Thomas, of Windber, with rape, indecent assault,. Lawyer Bob Davis Jr., who is based out of Harrisburg, has served in the past asbar association counsel in West Virginia, assistantcounsel forthe State Bar of Georgiaand deputy chief and acting chief of the disciplinary board in Pennsylvania. By doing soThomas has said he is not guilty of the crime. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. In Somerset County, the district attorney is paid by the county with 65% of the salary being reimbursed by the state. "Ithink that by itself is enough to raise a significant question," Davis said in reference to the letter. Creany also set a conference in September to review excerpts from 800 pages of text messages that the attorney generals office looked through during its investigation. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. Follow him on Twitter@TDDavidHurstand Instagram@TDDavidHurst. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Somerset County District Attorney, a District Attorney Office, at Court Street, Skowhegan ME. Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas was arrested Wednesday after police say he raped a woman. The wife of Somerset County District Attorney Jeff Thomas was cleared of assault charges against her husband during her preliminary hearing Wednesday. Services for Citizens. Somerset County D.A. ", Even though the word in the state capital is that Wolf will sign the bill, he added: "Nothing is real until it is real.". Support Staff Child Support Unit: High 63F. Jeffrey Thomas Pittsburgh-based defense attorney, Ryan Tutera, declined comment when reached about the letter. Also on Tuesday, two new part-time assistant district attorneys were hired to be part of the county's prosecutorialteam. Somerset County DA tried to have charges against wife dropped, letter indicates. 420 wouldamendPennsylvania's county codes concerning qualifications for the office of district attorney. First Assistant District Attorney Molly Metzgar has taken over the duties of district attorney since Thomas took a leave of absence to work on the matter of criminal charges. On Oct. 27,the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania listed his license as temporarily suspended. The ethics commission deals with public officials who have rules and regulations they need to follow. She has served as a Deputy District Attorney, Assistant Attorney General and as the State Representative for House District 57, serving on the Judiciary Committee. Somerset County's salary board Commissioners Gerald Walker, Colleen Dawson and Pamela Tokar-Ickes, as well as then-Treasurer Donna Matsko-Schmitt halted his paychecks after the law was signed. 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. Wouldamendpennsylvania 's County codes concerning qualifications for the office: Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is suing County! He is not guilty of the salary being reimbursed by the state explained position... 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