JUDGE'S CHAMBERS FORTY-SIXTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA CLEARFIELD COUNTY 290 EAST MARKET STREET CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA 16830 FREDRIC J, AMMERMAN PAUL E. CHERRY PRESIDENT JUDGE wupck Judges Fred Ammerman and Paul Cherry have pointed out the high level of mismanagement and disorganization in the Clerk of Courts Office. Prothonotary/Clerk of Court Brian Spencer now claims that the Judges are politically motivated in their statements. Nothing could be further from the truth, The problems in the Clerk’s Office started in February of this year when Spencer, for no legitimate reason, fired the Clerk employee who processed a large percentage of the criminal documents. This employee had 28 years of experience, and had worked for three prior Prothonotarys (Bill Shaw, Allen Bietz and Ray Witherow). Unfortunately, once this employee was gone the disorganization and backlog began, as Mr. Spencer did not understand what that ‘employee actually did. The fired employee was them replaced by another individual with no ‘experience whatsoever in the criminal system. The problems in the Clerk’s office are being discussed now because they are happening now, not because it is an election year. The Court has attempted since February to work behind the scenes with Mr. Spencer to try to solve these issues just as we would do with any County office holder, regardless of political party. However, as previously noted Mr. Spencer has refused to work with the Court and Court Administration, instead inexplicably blaming us for causing the problems. This is par for the course for Mr. Spencer, as back in his first year he told the Judges he did not need any help running his office, Judges Ammerman and Cherry have a combined 36 years of judicial experience. Chip Bell, the Court Administrator, is a lawyer with 39 years of criminal, civil and administrative ‘experience. We know how to operate an effective and efficient Court system. We are not in any way involved in politics, which has no place in the courts. The Judges do not care what the political persuasion is of any elected official. All we want are elected officials who will work with us, The Court, over many years, has had a very good working relationship with all other County offices and has always been able to work and problem solve together. Not with Mr. Spencer. When Mr. Spencer was elected the Judges and Court offices all bent over backwards trying to help him, as he has no legal training or experience and these offices are complicated. However, over the last three years Mr. Spencer has consistently shown two things; he is not 2 team player and he thinks he knows everything. He has failed to learn that the Judges operate the Courts and he needs to participate and cooperate.Another example of the problems caused by Mr. Spencer relates to Civil and Criminal Jury Selection, It has always been traditional in Clearfield County that the Prothonotary would assist the Court during the jury selection process, and Mr. Spencer started doing so in 2014, his first year in office. However, after a number of months Mr. Spencer started to think that he was in charge of jury selection, not the Judges. Not discussing anything with the Judges or Court Administration Office, Mr. Spencer began improperly excusing jurors from service and trying to change the process to suit him, even though he does not understand the legal system ‘These issues were discussed with him but nothing changed. Ultimately, Mr. Spencer caused so many difficulties he wa removed permanently from the jury selection process in early 2015. Lona soa titan Site aia ic J. Ammerman, President Judge Paul E. Cherry, Judge Date: Tela 17, 2017