WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) — Five judges who asked the state Supreme Court to intervene in a dispute with the president judge in their county are explaining why.
The Washington County judges issued a press release Thursday to say they asked the high court to strip President Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca of her administrative duties. That means she doesn't supervise them, but merely handles her own courtroom.
A former judge from another county was appointed by the Supreme Court on Nov. 4 to begin handling Judge Seneca's administrative tasks.
The Supreme Court didn't explain the action, but the judge's news release does -- in part. It references an April 2 incident which one of the judges now says involved Seneca's attempt to reassign a court reporter who has worked for the county for 40 years.
Seneca isn't commenting on the situation.