Breakiron waives hearing
CONNELLSVILLE – A Bullskin Township man charged with allegedly filing a false report with police waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will have the matter heard in Fayette County Court. Robert Breakiron Jr., 35, of Rear 99 East End Road, was scheduled Wednesday to appear before District Justice Ronald Haggerty.
Breakiron Jr. is the son of Bullskin Township District Justice Robert Breakiron Sr.
The charge stems from an Oct. 19, 2003, incident when Breakiron allegedly failed to notify authorities of a traffic accident near the intersection of Crawford Avenue and Breakneck Road.
According to court documents, Robert Breakiron Jr. later allegedly filed a report with state police at Uniontown, stating that his vehicle had been stolen from his home. Several hours later, he contacted police and allegedly admitted the vehicle had not been stolen and that he had instead been involved in the traffic accident. On Oct. 22, police filed summary charges of failure to notify police of an accident and driving on the wrong side of the road against the younger Breakiron with Haggerty’s magisterial office. The office personnel notified Robert Breakiron Jr. of the charges by mail and fines associated with the incident.
According to court records, on Oct. 28, Robert Breakiron Jr. paid the $184 fine and related court costs and added his signature, noting a plea of guilty to the summary charges.
On Oct. 24, state police filed criminal misdemeanor charges of unsworn falsification and false reports to law enforcement with District Justice Deberah Kula’s office.
Kula recused herself from hearing the criminal matter. It was later turned over to Haggerty, who dismissed the charges during a Dec. 4 preliminary hearing, stating that police could not file two separate sets of charges against Robert Breakiron Jr. in connection with the same incident.
The state attorney general’s office, who prosecuted the case after Fayette County District Attorney Nancy Vernon recused herself from the matter, requested the county court set aside Haggerty’s initial decision and have the magistrate again hear the case.
Last month, Fayette County President Judge Conrad Capuzzi agreed to allow the state attorney general’s office to refile the charges against Robert Breakiron Jr.