New order in the court

WILKES-BARRE – Perhaps there never has been a better time to apply the old saying, “Hit the ground running,” than in 2010 when talking about the three new Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judges.

William Amesbury, Tina Polachek Gartley and Joseph Cosgrove have assumed their seats on the county bench and have not looked back. Cosgrove provided an appropriate analogy.

“I realized while watching the Olympics that we are a lot like members of a hockey team,” Cosgrove said. “In most sports, when there is a timeout or a lull in the action, everything stops – not so in hockey. When the teams change lines, the action never stops. The puck is still flying when players are coming on and off the ice.”

“Myself and my two new colleagues got on the ice so to speak with the game in full play and no time to warm up,” he said. “And that’s fine – we’re ready for it and we have put our shoulders to the plow.”

Cosgrove, Amesbury and Gartley knew coming in that there was a significant backlog of cases in the county and they each said they have met the challenge and have worked tirelessly to do their part in reducing that caseload.

“It’s been everything I expected – and a whole lot more,” Gartley, 43, said. “We are very busy to say the least; every day is productive.”

Amesbury, 62, said the biggest adjustment for him has been dealing with what he termed “self-imposed isolation.” He said he spends many hours in his chambers and often takes work home with him.

“It’s the nature of the job,” he said. “People look at you differently and treat you differently. It’s a position that you hold and it commands respect.”

The coming spring will be much different for Amesbury – it will mark the first time in 34 years that he will not be coaching youth baseball.

“There’s just not enough time,” he said. “This job does sort of separate you from other things you normally did in the past.”

Cosgrove and Amesbury have been hearing mostly civil cases and Gartley, a former full-time assistant district attorney, has been assigned to criminal court.

Gartley said the daily “confinement” to the courthouse has been an adjustment for her as well. But she said her days fly by because of the hectic pace. She said the county is still down three judges – there are seven sitting jurists and two vacancies plus the seat once held by Ann Lokuta is in limbo.

“There is a sincere atmosphere of teamwork here,” she said. “Judge (Thomas) Burke has provided great leadership as president judge and all of the judges and their staffs have helped all of us adjust.”

Gartley said the new judges needed to be “up and running immediately” and the veteran jurists have provided help whenever needed.

“There has never been a time when I needed something that the judges weren’t there,” Gartley said. “There is a great sense of friendship and a realization that we need to work together for the courts to move forward.”

Cosgrove said he always felt it would be an honor to serve as judge, but he said he never imagined just how great an honor it is.

“I’ve been enriched by the camaraderie of my fellow judges,” he said. “We all know there is a great deal of work to be done and we will work together every day.”

Amesbury says he finds himself doing things daily that he never experienced in the past, like support issues, domestic cases and divorces. He said details of some of the cases amaze him. He especially has difficulty with people that appear before him who fail to meet their financial obligations for the families and end up with arrearages well into the thousands of dollars.

“It’s all fascinating to me,” he said. “Some of these cases are beyond our ability to change, but I always try to fashion remedies.”

In their chambers

Gartley’s desk was clear of files and clutter. Her walls are adorned with various framed works that have special meaning.

One depicts the Hindu sign for women of strength and another has a caption that reads: “Justice is balanced.” A painting titled, “Purple Waves of Grain” made it to the wall “because it matches,” Gartley revealed.

There are several pictures of family – she and her husband Scott have four sons – and friends. A pink Penn State coffee mug reveals her allegiance, although she still roots avidly for her alma mater, Syracuse University, and the Orangemen basketball team.

And there are photos of past clients – some with dark memories of how they were killed by abusive partners. And at the center of a fireplace sits a statue that represents the symbol of family – Gartley still makes every effort to attend all her sons’ events.

In Cosgrove’s chambers a football sits on a table near a window – the view is spectacular with the Susquehanna River and the Riverfront Park in full view. The football, Cosgrove says, is “just there.” He said President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy always had a football in their offices.

“I don’t say anything about it,” Cosgrove said. “A few times during meetings, lawyers have picked it up and flipped it in their hands or tossed it to another lawyer – usually without any word being spoken. The football, well, it’s just there.”

A painting done by Cosgrove’s fianc� adorns one wall. The judge said he still has some moving in to do, but that will have to wait for a little while.

Abraham Lincoln is a central figure in Amesbury’s chambers. Statues and paintings are prominently displayed.

“I believe he was our finest president,” Amesbury said. “We all have heroes and he’s mine. Lincoln preserved our country during its most tumultuous time.”

Amesbury said he has read several books on Lincoln and is always looking for more. There are photos of family and awards from baseball and softball teams.

Attending judge school

Attending the state mandated judge school early in January was good preparation for the new judges. Amesbury said the school did prepare him for knowing what was to be expected of him.

“But you really can’t imagine what it will be like until you get in here and see what needs to be done and start doing it,” he said.

“We are like members of a baseball team – some team members can do certain things better than others,” he said. “We all have talent and skill; and we have the chemistry here that has created a solid team.”

Cosgrove said his time at judge school was a little different in that he was a nominee awaiting confirmation and most of the others at the school were newly commissioned judges. “The experience itself was amazing for me,” he said. “It was an intense week – we went from early morning to late at night.”

Cosgrove said they reviewed substantive law as well as practical advice and suggestions from long standing members of the bench.

For Gartley, the separation from her family was difficult – it was the first time she was away from her kids for an extended period of time. “There was a lot of interest in Luzerne County,” she said. “The other judges had a sincere interest in learning about how we are moving forward; they wanted to know how we were dealing with it.”