By The Associated Press - January 20, 2010
A Pennsylvania judge overseeing a murder case involving domestic violence allegations has been suspended from duty over criminal charges that he pushed and choked his wife on their first wedding anniversary. Sixty-one-year-old Perry County Senior Judge C. Joseph Rehkamp has been charged with simple assault and harassment and is also subject to a protection from abuse order. On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court suspended him from duty, including handling a case in which a man is accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife in front of two of her children. Rehkamp has not commented on the charges. He has been serving in shorthanded Luzerne County, where state police say the judge and his wife argued Saturday at their Plymouth Township home after celebrating at two Wilkes-Barre restaurants.
BACKGROUND STORY:
Details emerge on former Perry County judge accused in domestic dispute
The Sentinel by John Hilton - January 19, 2010
Court documents reveal a night of discord between former Perry County president judge C. Joseph Rehkamp and his wife
Former Perry County president judge C. Joseph Rehkamp had been drinking Saturday night when he pushed his wife down “and started to choke her, leaving red marks,” court documents say. Valerie Rehkamp screamed and told her husband to leave their home in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County. According to the criminal complaint filed by Trooper Matthew Stacktish, Valerie Rehkamp’s son stopped the assault and Joseph Rehkamp left the home in his Ford Crown Victoria. Joseph Rehkamp, 61, later turned himself in and was arraigned about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. He is charged with misdemeanor assault and summary harassment. His preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Jan. 26. It was not known Monday whether Rehkamp has an attorney. The conflict between the Rehkamps began earlier in the evening, court documents say, when Valerie Rehkamp told her husband he “did not act appropriately” during a dinner outing. Valerie Rehkamp told the judge to “sleep somewhere else” for the night, court documents say. Valerie Rehkamp’s son gave Trooper Stacktish a similar account of the evening, adding that his mother told Joseph Rehkamp not to enter the house. When he did, an argument ensued, with Joseph Rehkamp following his wife into their bedroom. Valerie Rehkamp’s son “related that he heard a lot of yelling and arguing,” court documents say. Returning to the living room, court documents say, the couple resumed arguing in front of Valerie Rehkamp’s son, followed by the assault.
‘Surprised’
Perry County District Attorney Charles “Chad” Chenot said that when he started working in Perry County 16 years ago, Rehkamp was a judge. “Surprised” is how he described his reaction to the news that Rehkamp faced criminal charges, Chenot said. “I’m not aware of any kind of this behavior in the past,” Chenot said. As a judge, he said, “I believe he tried to be very fair. He certainly presided over all kinds of cases, including domestic cases, so he certainly would be familiar with what people do when they’re in domestic conflict.” The outcome of the charges shouldn’t impact any closed cases, Chenot said, but if there are still a few Perry County motions that Rehkamp hasn’t finished since moving onto his new assignment it could affect those, he said.
Senior judge
Rehkamp resigned from his seat on the Perry/Juniata County Court of Common Pleas in 2008 but has since been appointed as a senior judge - fill-in judges who serve at the order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. As such, Rehkamp was appointed on Oct. 1, 2008, to preside over two civil cases filed against former Cumberland County commissioner Bruce Barclay. Barclay resigned his county position in April 2008 after William McCurdy, who had been living with him, accused him of rape. Upon investigating, state police said Barclay had installed a hidden videotaping system in his home that proved the rape accusation false and led to McCurdy’s conviction on false report charges. However, it also led to the criminal charges Barclay is currently facing: patronizing prostitutes, unlawful use of computer, intercepting communications, unlawful duplication and 13 counts of invasion of privacy. Rehkamp is handling the case because Barclay used to work in the same courthouse as all of the Cumberland County judges. Rehkamp had been assigned to take over a capital murder case in Luzerne County for former Judge Michael T. Toole, who resigned from the bench and pleaded guilty last month to a fraud charge.
Court documents reveal a night of discord between former Perry County president judge C. Joseph Rehkamp and his wife
Former Perry County president judge C. Joseph Rehkamp had been drinking Saturday night when he pushed his wife down “and started to choke her, leaving red marks,” court documents say. Valerie Rehkamp screamed and told her husband to leave their home in Plymouth Township, Luzerne County. According to the criminal complaint filed by Trooper Matthew Stacktish, Valerie Rehkamp’s son stopped the assault and Joseph Rehkamp left the home in his Ford Crown Victoria. Joseph Rehkamp, 61, later turned himself in and was arraigned about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. He is charged with misdemeanor assault and summary harassment. His preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Jan. 26. It was not known Monday whether Rehkamp has an attorney. The conflict between the Rehkamps began earlier in the evening, court documents say, when Valerie Rehkamp told her husband he “did not act appropriately” during a dinner outing. Valerie Rehkamp told the judge to “sleep somewhere else” for the night, court documents say. Valerie Rehkamp’s son gave Trooper Stacktish a similar account of the evening, adding that his mother told Joseph Rehkamp not to enter the house. When he did, an argument ensued, with Joseph Rehkamp following his wife into their bedroom. Valerie Rehkamp’s son “related that he heard a lot of yelling and arguing,” court documents say. Returning to the living room, court documents say, the couple resumed arguing in front of Valerie Rehkamp’s son, followed by the assault.
‘Surprised’
Perry County District Attorney Charles “Chad” Chenot said that when he started working in Perry County 16 years ago, Rehkamp was a judge. “Surprised” is how he described his reaction to the news that Rehkamp faced criminal charges, Chenot said. “I’m not aware of any kind of this behavior in the past,” Chenot said. As a judge, he said, “I believe he tried to be very fair. He certainly presided over all kinds of cases, including domestic cases, so he certainly would be familiar with what people do when they’re in domestic conflict.” The outcome of the charges shouldn’t impact any closed cases, Chenot said, but if there are still a few Perry County motions that Rehkamp hasn’t finished since moving onto his new assignment it could affect those, he said.
Senior judge
Rehkamp resigned from his seat on the Perry/Juniata County Court of Common Pleas in 2008 but has since been appointed as a senior judge - fill-in judges who serve at the order of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. As such, Rehkamp was appointed on Oct. 1, 2008, to preside over two civil cases filed against former Cumberland County commissioner Bruce Barclay. Barclay resigned his county position in April 2008 after William McCurdy, who had been living with him, accused him of rape. Upon investigating, state police said Barclay had installed a hidden videotaping system in his home that proved the rape accusation false and led to McCurdy’s conviction on false report charges. However, it also led to the criminal charges Barclay is currently facing: patronizing prostitutes, unlawful use of computer, intercepting communications, unlawful duplication and 13 counts of invasion of privacy. Rehkamp is handling the case because Barclay used to work in the same courthouse as all of the Cumberland County judges. Rehkamp had been assigned to take over a capital murder case in Luzerne County for former Judge Michael T. Toole, who resigned from the bench and pleaded guilty last month to a fraud charge.
A nice anniversay gift for everyone! What's in the water out there in Luzerne County PA?
ReplyDeleteHow sweet. A judge ensnared in his own corrupt network. May he abundantly receive the same justice he dispensed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I accused a JUDGE in upstate NY years ago...and OCA found it was legitimate enough to remove me from his courtroom as well as others and query whether I was going to sue, the very first trial he heard was a sexual harassment case with a female employee, who stated the owner of the company where she worked, had chased her continuously around the office and into the office basement, grabbing her buttocks and breasts...and this judge quickly acquitted the owner and sealed the case.
ReplyDeleteThe reported case in the article seems to have been addressed quickly, most likely and probably because it was on tape and because he asked for "money"...the key to getting rid of all types and levels of judges apparently.... is taping their request for "money".
The judge case that I stated relative to my experience, should have been handled by forbidding him from hearing any cases that alleged abuses by a female from a male of any type, until the CJC investigated or removed him, which happened... 4 yrs later.
But...this judge went on to get elected to Family court with the recommendation of the Buffalo News, who had intimate details of the case from the start as they do with the case pending today.... for the remaining part of those 4 yrs.
This judge accumulated tremendous amounts of damage towards many innocent female pltfs in the Family Court setting , as well as those he ruled on in criminal court, before he departed to secure his landslide victory to Family court a few months after the allegations were submitted with proof.
In the end several other employees came forward, including a supervisor...many against their will as they sought and received promotions from OCA only... AFTER HE WAS REMOVED. The most damaged was the young innocent court reporter who was forced into "sexual experiments" with that judge when she was 19 and he was 39 and married, as she only came forward 2 yrs after I made the original allegations.
The entire story up unitl this very day in 2010.... is a very sad state of the mentality and abuses that the most powerful state court in AMERICA.... THE NY STATE COURT SYSTEM....has participated in violating, the 40 yr old civil rights act, as well as the hundreds yr old constitution... all to coverup, protect and condone.... the forever prevalent scenario of male dominance and sexual abuses against women...in this alleged FREE AND DEMOCRATIC NATION, CALLED THE USA?
The FBI and state and federal courts of this country only consider court corruption to be...the traditional brown paper bag of money with wiretaps by those who are vicitms...and if you have neither of these..your accusations of brutality seeping from the courts and it's employees are ignored and circular filed forever!
MAYBE IT TAKES A BEHEADING OF A WOMAN ....TO SHOW THE BUFFALO COURTS HOW ABUSES AGAINST WOMEN..EVEN THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES, WILL DELIVER SOME OF THE MOST BRUTAL, UNTHINKABLE ACTIONS PERFORMED BY MEN (AND COURTS) WHOSE ALLEGED ABUSES ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOULY BY THE COURTS OF THIS STATE...AS THE WOMEN GO UNPROTECTED AND EVEN ABUSED BY THE COURTS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THEM...WITH JUDGES WHO TODAY THINK WOMEN ARE AT THAT SEXUAL DISPOSAL...AND THESE VERY JUDGES KNOW I AM SPEAKING ABOUT THEM, AS THEY ARE SITTING IN THOSE HIGHER COURTS ENGAGING IN SEX WITH EMPLOYEES AND PROMOTING THEM FOR THAT ACTIVITY!
I must add to the above tragedy this assessment...the amount of hurt, financial devastation, human destruction, destroyed worth, taxpayer dollars expended, losses to all citizens of this state from excellent workers attempting to work and be promoted without using a sexual diploma to do so and peacefully, and finally the tremendous blast to any of the integrity that the NY court system had left...has made this 20 yr saga, by far the most embarrassing and humilating event...the OCA....NY...has ever allowed to perpetuate from one single and very disturbed judge's activities...festered by the condoning of a politician's perverted agenda.
ReplyDeleteMany, many females, judges and employees alike.... are the biggest offenders in allowing this continued agenda to cost the state of NY...financially and ethically.
A shameful look at what jealousy and retaliation can do to a state entity that is now struggling to maintain an image of justice...that is severely battered and assuredly... unrepairable.
and the Beheaded woman's lawyer was Corey J Hogan......
ReplyDeletedoes he not care if his clients are safe, from my experience he continues to harm females, even when he knows felonies have been committed..........
let us hope & pray Feroletto and Sedita kick their butts!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteisn't Hochul up there......
ReplyDeletekick their butts!!!!!!!!
we need a book
ReplyDeleteThe Jokers, Jesters and Molesters of the New York State Court System!
Now that will bring change!
I wonder how Corey J Hogan got Steven Cohen to lie for him, to protect Hogan from any investigation for the felonies he committed, oh that's right Cohen went to work for Corey and Cohen represents police officers.......
ReplyDeleteremember boys, you have to report felonies!