Update: Lokuta vows to appeal ruling removing her from office

HARRISBURG - Judge vowed to appeal a Court of Judicial Discipline ruling today that removes her from office and precludes her from holding any other judicial office.

 Lokuta made no other comment as she left the courtroom. Her attorney, Louis Sinatra, said Lokuta knew she was facing an uphill battle in light of the scathing, 228-page opinion the court had previously entered in which it found Lokuta’s behavior had brought disrepute to the office and had prejudiced the administration of justice.

 “We recognized before this hearing the court’s opinion had been very critical,” Sinatra said. “Judge Lokuta has to evaluate where to go from here.”

 The seven-member court voted 6-1 to removed Lokuta. Judge Lawrence O’Toole dissented, saying he would instead suspend Lokuta for one year without pay and direct that she serve a three-year probationary period that would be monitored by Judicial Conduct Board – the agency which brought the charges against Lokuta.

 Francis J. Puskas II, chief counsel for the Judicial Conduct Board, had sought Lokuta’s removal, arguing her behavior on the bench has been a “cancer” to the Luzerne County court system.

 “I take no personal pleasure in Judge Lokuta’s downfall. But make no mistake. This court got it right,” Puskas said following the hearing. “I’m happy for the court personnel and attorneys who practice in Luzerne County and who testified before the court. This vindicates what they told the court about Judge Lokuta’s conduct.”

 The JCB filed a misconduct complaint against Lokuta in November, 2006, alleging she had abused courthouse staff and attorneys for years. She was also accused of other infractions, including using court personnel to do household chores and of issuing biased rulings in two cases.

 The court’s decision followed roughly 2 ½ hours of testimony in which Lokuta presented 19 witnesses, including 15 attorneys. Lokuta also made comments to the court, apologizing for any actions she has taken that caused attorney s or others who appeared before her pain.

 Lokuta said she was “humbled” by the proceedings and vowed to abide by any restrictions the court might impose if it allowed her to remain on the bench. Some of the judges made comments indicating that they were skeptical that Lokuta’s behavior – described by O’Toole as “judicial bullying”- would cease.

 “If she remains on the bench what controls exist to protect what needs to be protected?” Judge Richard Sprague asked.

 For the complete story read Wednesday’s Times Leader