The Facade of Respectability is Beginning to Crack!
Clinton County, Pennsylvania. ">
Conduct board reprimands judge
Details revealed amid ongoing fray between Williamson, Rosamilia
From staff reports
LOCK HAVEN - A dispute between the county's president judge and the Children and Youth Services director has again spilled out into public view, with recent revelations of a reprimand of the judge by the state Judicial Conduct Board.
News of Judge J. Michael Williamson's appearance before the Board on Aug. 13 was disclosed this week in documents provided by Gerald Rosamilia, who requested the board investigate the judge's actions toward an alleged teenage rape victim last year.
Documentation of the investigation and subsequent reprimand - along with information concerning the judge's refusal to follow Rosamilia's recommendation that a probation officer be dismissed for abuse of the sick time policy - came three weeks after Williamson suspended Rosamilia as court services director, director of domestic relations and chief probation officer. The suspension came after Rosamilia refused to meet the judge as requested.
Williamson has declined comment on either matter, citing the sensitivity of the issues and the people involved.
In a cover letter accompanying the documents, Rosamilia wrote:
"In 38 1/2 years with the county, with the support of many boards of commissioners, three president judges and many excellent staff, I had established an organizational structure that combined Court and Social Services in such a manner that the programs were both effective and cost effective.
"Part of my role with Clinton County under this structure ended recently as a result of the actions of the president judge whom I took issue with regarding a personnel matter and, more importantly, by filing a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Board due to his actions and conduct involving an adolescent female whose case he presided over."
The documents reveal that Rosamilia requested the Judicial Conduct Board initiate an investigation after he received a memorandum from former CYS casework supervisor Gina Foresman on Aug. 1, 2008 detailing concerns she had with Williamson's actions toward an alleged 16-year-old female rape victim.
In her complaint, Foresman said she and an unidentified caseworker went to the foster home of the female juvenile on July 30, 2008 to explain decisions between her agency and the foster parents.
The juvenile then told Foresman she was confused because Williamson had told her CYS made no decisions in her regard.
Foresman's memo states the juvenile told her she met Williamson three times on the day of the court hearing - once in the law library before the hearing, secondly in Judge Craig Miller's empty courtroom with her attorney present, and lastly in front of the second floor elevator on the way back into the courtroom.
"(Juvenile) stated that the judge grabbed her from behind on her neck," the memo states. "At this point, the other foster children were asked to leave and go upstairs."
The victim said Williamson then grabbed her by the back of the neck, placed his face close to hers and whispered to her, "Don't (expletive) up and make me look bad," according to the memo.
"This 16-year-old young lady was a victim of rape and also statutory sexual assault," Foresman stated in the memo. "She suffers from poor self image and low self esteem. Judge Williamson used his position of authority to intimidate this already confused child. He invaded her personal space and failed to treat her professionally and impartially. The agency has used multiple resources including placement to deal with respect for authority and self image. Judge Williamson's behavior could have easily undermined the agency's work with this child in the last few years.
"(Name blacked out) has grown and matured and it is evident she did not take this situation as a chance to reject authority as we have seen in the past with another female juvenile."
The Judicial Conduct Board's concluded in August that Williamson should receive a Letter of Counsel, which is the board's private reprimand and its most serious form of sanction short of filing formal charges in the Court of Judicial Discipline.
This Letter of Counsel may be used in future court proceedings should new complaints be filed against Williamson, states the letter dated Aug. 31 to Rosamilia from the Judicial Conduct Board's Chief Counsel Joseph Massa Jr.
Massa's letter said Williamson appeared before him on Aug. 13 "to sign and receive the Letter of Counsel delineating the complained conduct and containing the board's official expresssion of disapproval."
Foresman was later named supervisor of the Clinton County Probation Department before being reassigned earlier this year as Children and Youth supervisor.
Concerning the personnel matter, Rosamilia provided The Express with records showing a large amount of compensation time and overtime given to a probation officer.
According to the records, the probation officer accrued 193.75 hours of compensation time and overtime, with the next highest amount of 132.25 hours to another probation officer. A separate memo indicated the officer was also using sick time instead of vacation time on several occasions.
In an Aug. 26 memo to Williamson, Rosamilia recommended the probation officer's immediate dismissal. The memo was copied to Judge Craig Miller, Court Administrator Miles Kessinger and the commissioners.
"His excessive use of sick time has allowed him to be off work with a minimum utilization of vacation time, this affording him the opportunity to receive a payout for carry-over (unused) vacation days," the memo states. "This pattern represents a flagrant abuse of the county's sick time policy."
Rosamilia noted the records showed the officer, with the exception of the week of Aug. 17 to 21, did not use any vacation time, "but yet has been absent from the office numerous times."
"(His) overall lack of integrity and trustworthiness as demonstrated by his constant abuse of the county's sick time policy, his dishonesty with his co-workers who have substituted for him and done his work in his absence, coupled with his improper use of the Internet in February of this year, characterize the behaviors of a thief, not those of a probation officer," Rosamilia wrote.
"I, therefore, recommend to you his immediate dismissal from this department."
The probation officer still works in the department.
In a memo also dated Aug. 26, Williamson directed the staff to take away all of the probation officer's vacation time for the year in addition to all his compensation time and overtime for the year.
In handwritten notes provided to the media, Rosamilia wrote on Aug. 27 that he received a call from Williamson threatening to "take the gloves off" with Senior Judge Richard Saxton, Foresman and Rosamilia if Rosamilia pursued the probation officer's matter with the commissioners.
Further, Rosamilia's notes indicate, also on Aug. 27, he advised Saxton, Foresman, Kessinger and the county commissioners of Williamson's threat.
On Sept. 24, according to his notes, Kessinger advised him that Williamson wanted to meet that day. Rosamilia noted he told Kessinger to tell Williamson he would meet with him in Rosamilia's office with two witnesses because of the threat made on Aug. 24.
Rosamilia noted Kessinger told him that Williamson requested a meeting for a second time and Rosamilia again declined. At that time, Rosamilia stated, Williamson suspended him , with Sheriff Chuck Ankney delivering his termination papers on Oct. 1.
POST SCRIPT. If Judge Williamson has anyone to blame for making him look bad, it is only himself and his narcissitic personality disorder. After others finish telling their stories, I think will see more than just a "slap on the wrist" riprimand for this fellow. I've got his pension in my sights, and those who helped him to wrong my family! Congradulations Mr. Rosamilia for having the courage of your convictions to stand up to this abysmal, inept, unethical bully! The Clinton County Judiciary's facade is beginning to crack. And shame on the Clinton County Commissioners!
http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/513888.html?nav=5009&actionAlert=emailcontent#
Conduct board reprimands judge
Details revealed amid ongoing fray between Williamson, Rosamilia
From staff reports
LOCK HAVEN - A dispute between the county's president judge and the Children and Youth Services director has again spilled out into public view, with recent revelations of a reprimand of the judge by the state Judicial Conduct Board.
News of Judge J. Michael Williamson's appearance before the Board on Aug. 13 was disclosed this week in documents provided by Gerald Rosamilia, who requested the board investigate the judge's actions toward an alleged teenage rape victim last year.
Documentation of the investigation and subsequent reprimand - along with information concerning the judge's refusal to follow Rosamilia's recommendation that a probation officer be dismissed for abuse of the sick time policy - came three weeks after Williamson suspended Rosamilia as court services director, director of domestic relations and chief probation officer. The suspension came after Rosamilia refused to meet the judge as requested.
Williamson has declined comment on either matter, citing the sensitivity of the issues and the people involved.
In a cover letter accompanying the documents, Rosamilia wrote:
"In 38 1/2 years with the county, with the support of many boards of commissioners, three president judges and many excellent staff, I had established an organizational structure that combined Court and Social Services in such a manner that the programs were both effective and cost effective.
"Part of my role with Clinton County under this structure ended recently as a result of the actions of the president judge whom I took issue with regarding a personnel matter and, more importantly, by filing a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Board due to his actions and conduct involving an adolescent female whose case he presided over."
The documents reveal that Rosamilia requested the Judicial Conduct Board initiate an investigation after he received a memorandum from former CYS casework supervisor Gina Foresman on Aug. 1, 2008 detailing concerns she had with Williamson's actions toward an alleged 16-year-old female rape victim.
In her complaint, Foresman said she and an unidentified caseworker went to the foster home of the female juvenile on July 30, 2008 to explain decisions between her agency and the foster parents.
The juvenile then told Foresman she was confused because Williamson had told her CYS made no decisions in her regard.
Foresman's memo states the juvenile told her she met Williamson three times on the day of the court hearing - once in the law library before the hearing, secondly in Judge Craig Miller's empty courtroom with her attorney present, and lastly in front of the second floor elevator on the way back into the courtroom.
"(Juvenile) stated that the judge grabbed her from behind on her neck," the memo states. "At this point, the other foster children were asked to leave and go upstairs."
The victim said Williamson then grabbed her by the back of the neck, placed his face close to hers and whispered to her, "Don't (expletive) up and make me look bad," according to the memo.
"This 16-year-old young lady was a victim of rape and also statutory sexual assault," Foresman stated in the memo. "She suffers from poor self image and low self esteem. Judge Williamson used his position of authority to intimidate this already confused child. He invaded her personal space and failed to treat her professionally and impartially. The agency has used multiple resources including placement to deal with respect for authority and self image. Judge Williamson's behavior could have easily undermined the agency's work with this child in the last few years.
"(Name blacked out) has grown and matured and it is evident she did not take this situation as a chance to reject authority as we have seen in the past with another female juvenile."
The Judicial Conduct Board's concluded in August that Williamson should receive a Letter of Counsel, which is the board's private reprimand and its most serious form of sanction short of filing formal charges in the Court of Judicial Discipline.
This Letter of Counsel may be used in future court proceedings should new complaints be filed against Williamson, states the letter dated Aug. 31 to Rosamilia from the Judicial Conduct Board's Chief Counsel Joseph Massa Jr.
Massa's letter said Williamson appeared before him on Aug. 13 "to sign and receive the Letter of Counsel delineating the complained conduct and containing the board's official expresssion of disapproval."
Foresman was later named supervisor of the Clinton County Probation Department before being reassigned earlier this year as Children and Youth supervisor.
Concerning the personnel matter, Rosamilia provided The Express with records showing a large amount of compensation time and overtime given to a probation officer.
According to the records, the probation officer accrued 193.75 hours of compensation time and overtime, with the next highest amount of 132.25 hours to another probation officer. A separate memo indicated the officer was also using sick time instead of vacation time on several occasions.
In an Aug. 26 memo to Williamson, Rosamilia recommended the probation officer's immediate dismissal. The memo was copied to Judge Craig Miller, Court Administrator Miles Kessinger and the commissioners.
"His excessive use of sick time has allowed him to be off work with a minimum utilization of vacation time, this affording him the opportunity to receive a payout for carry-over (unused) vacation days," the memo states. "This pattern represents a flagrant abuse of the county's sick time policy."
Rosamilia noted the records showed the officer, with the exception of the week of Aug. 17 to 21, did not use any vacation time, "but yet has been absent from the office numerous times."
"(His) overall lack of integrity and trustworthiness as demonstrated by his constant abuse of the county's sick time policy, his dishonesty with his co-workers who have substituted for him and done his work in his absence, coupled with his improper use of the Internet in February of this year, characterize the behaviors of a thief, not those of a probation officer," Rosamilia wrote.
"I, therefore, recommend to you his immediate dismissal from this department."
The probation officer still works in the department.
In a memo also dated Aug. 26, Williamson directed the staff to take away all of the probation officer's vacation time for the year in addition to all his compensation time and overtime for the year.
In handwritten notes provided to the media, Rosamilia wrote on Aug. 27 that he received a call from Williamson threatening to "take the gloves off" with Senior Judge Richard Saxton, Foresman and Rosamilia if Rosamilia pursued the probation officer's matter with the commissioners.
Further, Rosamilia's notes indicate, also on Aug. 27, he advised Saxton, Foresman, Kessinger and the county commissioners of Williamson's threat.
On Sept. 24, according to his notes, Kessinger advised him that Williamson wanted to meet that day. Rosamilia noted he told Kessinger to tell Williamson he would meet with him in Rosamilia's office with two witnesses because of the threat made on Aug. 24.
Rosamilia noted Kessinger told him that Williamson requested a meeting for a second time and Rosamilia again declined. At that time, Rosamilia stated, Williamson suspended him , with Sheriff Chuck Ankney delivering his termination papers on Oct. 1.
POST SCRIPT. If Judge Williamson has anyone to blame for making him look bad, it is only himself and his narcissitic personality disorder. After others finish telling their stories, I think will see more than just a "slap on the wrist" riprimand for this fellow. I've got his pension in my sights, and those who helped him to wrong my family! Congradulations Mr. Rosamilia for having the courage of your convictions to stand up to this abysmal, inept, unethical bully! The Clinton County Judiciary's facade is beginning to crack. And shame on the Clinton County Commissioners!
http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/513888.html?nav=5009&actionAlert=emailcontent#
posted by Jude Rene Montarsi | 2:14 PM
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