Greene County president judge charged with judicial misconduct
The president judge of Greene County Court of Common Pleas was charged Thursday with judicial misconduct in the handling of cases, including one in which he allegedly interfered with a retail theft investigation into his law clerk.
The state Court of Judicial Discipline filed a 21-count complaint against President Judge Farley Toothman, accusing him of violating the state Constitution and code of judicial conduct, court records show.
The court accused Toothman of engaging in conduct that was “so extreme that it brings the judicial office itself into disrepute,” the document states.
The accusations began with a complaint involving his law clerk, Alexsandra Chamberlain, in September 2017, after she was questioned about her actions in a Sunoco convenience store in Waynesburg.
Chamberlain was questioned about her actions at the store by a customer, Christy McCarty, and was told the store’s supervisors wanted to review surveillance video during her visit.
The law clerk returned to Toothman’s chambers and told him about the incident, the record states.
Toothman is accused of returning to the Sunoco with his son, George, and Chamberlain, and they were told to leave because the store employees felt as if they were being harassed, the court alleges.
The next day Toothman interrupted a county probation office staff meeting and demanded to know who was assigned to a district court case involving McCarty.
McCarty, who was performing community service over that case, was told to report to Toothman’s courtroom, where he sentenced her to jail for about a month for failing to pay fines, the record shows.
There was no evidence entered into the record at that proceeding and no attorneys were in attendance, the record states.
After her release, Toothman allegedly asked McCarty if she was “going to be a good girl,” before finding her in compliance with the court, the document states.
Toothman also was accused in the document of closing a protection-from-abuse hearing to the public in April 2018 in a matter that should have been held in open court.
He also was accused of retaliating against a union custodian who filed a grievance accusing him of using nonunion employees to perform contractural duties in the courtroom.
Toothman has 30 days to respond to the complaint.
When contacted Thursday evening, Toothman said he hadn’t seen the complaint and was unaware of what was filed against him.
He said the complaint was regrettable.
“I do my best every day,” Toothman said. “I respect the system and will comply with the process.”