Greene County Judge Accused Of Mishandling Cases

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Greene County judge has been accused of judicial misconduct by the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board for the alleged mishandling of criminal cases.

The board filed a 21-count complaint Thursday against President Judge Farley Toothman, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

The complaint alleges that in one incident Toothman retaliated against a Christy McCarty who confronted his law clerk for an alleged theft that occurred at a Sunoco gas station in 2017.

Toothman asked police to investigate the incident and held a closed-door hearing the next day for McCarty without the presence of an attorney.

McCarty was incarcerated for 25 days on contempt charges for allegedly violating a payment plan in connection to an unrelated case.

Toothman could not be immediately reached to comment on the charges, but he told the Observer-Reporter newspaper Thursday that the complaint was regrettable.

"I do my best every day," Toothman said. "I respect the system and will comply with the process."

If Toothman is found guilty the Court of Judicial Discipline could impose sanctions including censure, suspension, fines and removal from office. Toothman has 30 days to respond to the complaint.