Two constables awaiting action by review board
Two Washington County constables are waiting to find out more about a matter that has kept them from doing work related to Common Pleas and magisterial district courts.
Mark Gordon, the elected constable for Washington’s Second Ward, and Shawn Blumer, who serves in a similar position in Amwell Township, are prohibited by order of President Judge Katherine B. Emery from temporarily performing “any judicial services” retroactive to Jan. 30 for a period of 30 days or until further order of the court.
The president judge took action after reviewing a complaint made by the Washington County controller’s office to the court administrator.
According to a Feb. 12 order placing a moratorium on Blumer’s and Gordon’s constable services, the controller’s office, which processes payments to constables, questioned vouchers for prisoner transport on Dec. 2 and 24, 2019, and on Jan. 13, 2020.
Controller Michael Namie said Monday, “Until the process has run its course, I’m not going to make a comment.
“There’s a process to be followed and there’s a constable review board.”
Neither Namie nor Peter Marcoline III, the attorney representing Blumer, had been notified Monday when the review board might convene, although Namie said, “I assume that will happen relatively quickly. I will receive notice from the courts of when that meeting has been scheduled.”
Attorney Christopher Furman, who represents Gordon, could not be reached Monday afternoon. Furman previously brought a document to court that noted Gordon has been a constable for 24 years, and called his service “impeccable.”
Marcoline joined in Furman’s motion. “Mr. Blumer is denying any impropriety or any wrongdoing,” Marcoline said. “I think they were just as shocked as everybody else was. They’re still constables.”
He said Blumer has been a constable for “six or seven years.”
On Feb. 12, Emery vacated a Jan. 30 order suspending Blumer and Gordon.
In 2018 when the constable review board was created, the county budgeted about $200,000 a year for constables transporting prisoners and providing services such as serving arrest warrants and protection-from-abuse orders. Constables also can be paid by the magisterial courts for collecting unpaid fines or executing warrants.