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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Northampton County Loses Another Starter

The original miserable bastard
Like me, my father was an alcoholic. He'd be fine for weeks, sometimes months, and then would just disappear. He might stop at the office for a few minutes, but by the time I got to it, the only trace left of him would be the smoke from a dying Pall Mall cigarette, curling its way from the ash tray to the ceiling.

Ordinarily, my father was a beer drinker. But on one binge, he was hanging with a real lowlife - a Catholic priest - and the two of them were drinking Irish whiskey.

After getting sufficiently schnockered at some Bucks County watering hole, my father began making his way home along the lonely and winding back roads. He took a corner too fast and his car catapulted off the road and into a nearby field. Distraught neighbors summoned the constabulary and a state trooper came onto the scene.

Surveying the situation, the trooper asked, "What happened, Barnie? Were you in an accident?"

"No, I'm a fuckin' stunt driver," was my Dad's snotty reply. He was a miserable bastard.

Naturally, he was charged with drunk driving. This was before the days of ARD or other special programs for first offenders. In his lifetime, he had prosecuted them and defended them. Now he was one of them himself. A real expert.

My Dad, who fought over everything else, quietly plead guilty. The judge who accepted his plea and sentenced him to twenty years in the electric chair was Isaac Garb. He sat on the bench in Bucks County at that time.

Despite this, or perhaps because of it, my Dad always liked Garb.

As a Senior Judge in Northampton County, Judge Garb was stuck with my lawsuits concerning the $111 million bond. He ruled against me in two suits, although I did manage to get him reversed on one for a pyrhhic victory.

I liked Judge Garb, too.

He was a no-nonsense bastard who still took the time to talk to anyone. Even me.

It's sad that, on the same day that District Judge Gay Elwell died, so did Isaac Garb. Though technically from Bucks County, Garb was a fixture in Easton, and he liked to work.

In one day, Northampton County's judicial system has lost two of its starters.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I likde Judge Garb, because he didn't take any shit from Ron Angle and let him know he was subject to the same laws as his victims.

Bernie O'Hare said...

That's nice bc Judge Garb had nothing to do with any of those cases. But don't let that stop you from slinging mud against a person about whom you are obviously ignorant.

Your real problem with Angle is that he is conservative Republican who tells the truth and stood up to Reibman's excesses.

Now go back to sleep, Glenn.

Anonymous said...

Bernie's right, Ron Angle has been in three differnt political parties, at the present he calls himself a Republican. He was thrown out of fiercly conservative District four for a Democrat.

Good for you Bernie. Keep it real.

Bernie O'Hare said...

What does his loss have to do with the false statement that Judge Garb ruled against him? This post is about Garb, not Angle, by the way. I realize you haters gotta' hate, but i'd think you'd have a little respect for Judge Garb and not rant about Angle on this post.

Anonymous said...

In his later years he wore sneakers and white wool socks to work. A real character.

Anonymous said...

Judge Garb handled the infamous "pump" case back in the 80's, and his opinions were always excellent- well thought out and reasoned.

He was smart, tough but fair- all you could ask for in a judge.

Loved his straw boater too.

Anonymous said...

Judge Garb was the epitome of what every judge should strive to be. Fair winds and following seas, into the next...

Anonymous said...

I'm Sorry for your Father Bernie.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Loved his straw boater too."

You're right! I had forgotten that he did sport one of those along with the sneakers. He was one of a kind.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bernie, I get more out of your website then I do the newspaper, thanks for accurate and full information. I write to you under this post as it deals with honesty and non/chronyism or nepotism upheld, so, I will take it to the recent DUI charges for the Palmer Township Police Woman Susan Seigfried (was Coopersmith). As the papers reported she has been charged (thank goodness) with a recent DUI, and Jackie Tashner (former Assistant DA)is the ruling Magistrate over the case who gave her suspension of the job with pay! However, court records (Case history # C - 0048-CV-2002-00001) Divorce from Stanley Coopersmith III reveals that Tashner was Coopersmith's Attorney for this divorce and Gary Asteak was the Attorney for Mr. Coopersmith, is this not a conflict of interest for Tashner and should she have not recused herself from this case reason being conflict of interest. Surely. Tashner had to be paid thousands of dollars for the representation on the divorce. You know my history with these two woman and I still stand well documented on the issues which is available for anyone that wants to review them, I still have the pictures is all I want to say. However, that is not the concern now, is chronyism alive in the Northamtpon County system? And, they wanted to tell you, you were so wrong, is it not the pot calling the kettle black. I remember a well suited man walking into my area of expertise, and, I shall never forget him, thanks, hope this is investigated. I did notify the DA's office and the reporter about this possible convenience of law, thank-you.
Hoping to remain anonymous and just wanting to throw a tip out there, take care

Anonymous said...

Hi Bernie, I get more out of your website then I do the newspaper, thanks for accurate and full information. I write to you under this post as it deals with honesty and non/chronyism or nepotism upheld, so, I will take it to the recent DUI charges for the Palmer Township Police Woman Susan Seigfried (was Coopersmith). As the papers reported she has been charged (thank goodness) with a recent DUI, and Jackie Tashner (former Assistant DA)is the ruling Magistrate over the case who gave her suspension of the job with pay! However, court records (Case history # C - 0048-CV-2002-00001) Divorce from Stanley Coopersmith III reveals that Tashner was Coopersmith's Attorney for this divorce and Gary Asteak was the Attorney for Mr. Coopersmith, is this not a conflict of interest for Tashner and should she have not recused herself from this case reason being conflict of interest. Surely. Tashner had to be paid thousands of dollars for the representation on the divorce. You know my history with these two woman and I still stand well documented on the issues which is available for anyone that wants to review them, I still have the pictures is all I want to say. However, that is not the concern now, is chronyism alive in the Northamtpon County system? And, they wanted to tell you, you were so wrong, is it not the pot calling the kettle black. I remember a well suited man walking into my area of expertise, and, I shall never forget him, thanks, hope this is investigated. I did notify the DA's office and the reporter about this possible convenience of law, thank-you.
Hoping to remain anonymous and just wanting to throw a tip out there, take care

Bernie O'Hare said...

10:14, I will look into this. I do not think Judge Tashner had anything to do with the suspension.