SUNBURY - The Northumberland County Bar Association has come to the defense of Judge Charles Saylor, saying he has been "unjustly attacked" by Stephen Bridy and Vinny Clausi over a recent ruling that the two Northumberland County commissioners violated the Sunshine Act.
In a statement emailed to the media, Joseph C. Michetti Jr., president of the bar association, said Saylor has been an "esteemed member" of the bench for 10 years, has presided over a range of issues and is well known for his fairness and thorough analysis of the law.
In a six-page order issued Sept. 28 after a preliminary injunction hearing two days earlier, Saylor said a decision by the county that banned David F. Kaleta from Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) property should not be enforced, pending any further order of the court. Also, he said the county's decision represented a violation of the Sunshine Act, which requires county business be deliberated at a publicly advertised meeting.
Following the ruling, Clausi and Bridy were critical of the judge, saying he should have recused himself from the case because of past conflicts with Clausi.
Also, Clausi invited Saylor to the commissioners' Oct. 2 public meeting and placed a sign, "Reserved for the Honorable Judge Saylor," on an empty seat.
"It should be noted that the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits any judge from commenting on any pending action," Michetti said. "Accordingly, as a result of the strictures of the code, judges can find themselves at a disadvantage when they have to defend their record against an opponent who has no such inhibitions."
Bridy and Clausi said they did not find it surprising Michetti and the bar association would come to the defense of Saylor.
"They're all part of the court system. Any attorney that doesn't like the ruling, they can't say nothing. That's their bread and butter," Clausi said Monday.
Clausi added, "Judge Saylor called me a grinch and a bully, then why didn't he come out to the commissioners and respond to what he made as a ruling. I will continue to fight and bust their little clique in the castle."
The lawyers and judges only look out for themselves, and not the people of Northumberland County, he said.
"The bar association has to practice in front of the judge. That's normal," was Bridy's take on Monday.
Michetti: Appeal instead
Michetti said it is "unfortunate" that the two commissioners would interfere with judicial decision making, saying it "serves no legitimate purpose." Instead, "Every litigant has the right to file an appeal. Accordingly, if Commissioners Clausi and Bridy do not like the decision, then the remedy is to appeal the same," he wrote.
The county has said it will appeal the decision.
"If I see an injustice, whether as a commissioner or a private citizen, I will speak up," Bridy said.
He said seven attorneys have advised him the judge's interpretation was inaccurate.
"We're not going to play no games," Clausi said.
Clausi said previously he knew Saylor would rule against the county because commissioners denied raises for court secretaries and removed the Court Appointed Special Advocates program from the courthouse. Then, at last week's meeting, he said Saylor "had an opportunity to get back at me and he took it."
Attempts to reach Saylor for comment on Clausi's and Bridy's criticisms and accusations were unsuccessful.