State board files misconduct complaint against Mon City district judge
A habit of setting bonds and bail in various cases at $5,000 in apparent violation of state standards has led to the filing of a complaint Thursday by the Pennsylvania Board of Judicial Conduct against Monongahela Municipal District Judge Mark A. Wilson.
The complaint alleges misconduct by Wilson in a 2011 case involving Monongahela Mayor Robert L. Kepics as well as in a series of welfare fraud cases beginning in 2013.
In addition, the complaint alleges that Wilson did not use proper “release criteria” by ordering that same $5,000 figure in 11 other cases, where suspects were being charged with retail theft, welfare fraud, theft by deception and writing bad checks.
According to the complaint as posted on the Board of Judicial Conduct website, some charges come under older rules that were in effect until Dec. 1, 2014, while others come under newer Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges.
The Kepics case involved a private criminal complaint filed by John Amon against the mayor, alleging that Kepics failed to pay $2,335 of $3,935 he borrowed from Amon and his wife Shirley.
According to the complaint, the Amons were personal friends of Kepics’ deceased parents and that Kepics sought the loan to help pay taxes on his parents’ home and other expenses.
Wilson allegedly told a constable that he was going to teach the mayor a lesson, using an obscene adjective to go along with “lesson,” and had Kepics jailed on Dec. 11, 2012, in lieu of $5,000 bond.
Kepics’ wife later posted bond and three days after the mayor was arraigned the charge of theft-by-deception was withdrawn by Washington County District Attorney Eugene A. Vittone.
According to the complaint Vittone found that there was no criminal intent on the mayor’s part, and that the loan dispute was a civil matter between Kepics and the Amons.
The welfare matters included a 2013 case where Wilson set a $5,000 bail requirement for two welfare recipients, after Vittone had reached an agreement with the recipients where they would repay the value of food stamps they allegedly received fraudulently and they would be ineligible for food stamps thereafter.
According to the state board’s complaint the $5,000 requirement was dropped when Vittone threatened to withdraw the complaint against the two recipients.
The other welfare matter mentioned in the complaint was a 2015 case where a private complaint was filed by a state investigator.
The other matters mentioned in the complaint was a 2015 case where a private complaint was filed by a state investigator, as well as two retail theft, one bad check and one theft by unlawful taking case from before 2014 and four bad checks, two welfare fraud and one theft of services after 2014.
Vittone declined comment regarding the Board of Judicial Conduct’s filing.
“Under the rules of professional conduct (Wilson) is entitled to a hearing and due process,” Vittone said. “Right now it is just a complaint.”
In January, Wilson began his 12th year as judge for Magisterial District 27-1-02, including the city of Monongahela, the boroughs of Donora and New Eagle and Carroll Township.
Wilson is seeking re-election to a third term and is challenged on both party primary ballots by Peter Seth Hoosac of New Eagle.
Wilson’s case marks the second time that a district justice representing Judicial District 27-1-02 has faced discipline from the state.
On April 23, 1999, the state Supreme Court ordered Ronald Amati “relieved of all judicial and administrative responsibilities until further order of this court.” Amati, however, continued to receive his salary.
In Washington County, district justices received salaries of $55,027 in 1999 and $56,348 in 2000. The salary rose to $57,475 in 2001.
On Feb. 5, 2001, Amati was convicted in U.S. District Court on one count each of criminal conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business and conspiring to obstruct state or local law enforcement.
He was suspended without pay shortly after a U.S. District Court jury found him guilty on all charges.
Despite his suspension in late April 1999, Amati was nominated for re-election on the Democratic ticket in May 1999. Less than a month after he was indicted on federal gambling charges, Amati was overwhelmingly re-elected to a new, six-year term.