Local Government TV

Friday, May 05, 2023

DA Candidate Steve Baratta Electioneers Aside Drop Box

Yesterday, Northampton County District Attorney candidate Steve Baratta conducted a news conference to discuss "the current state of the District Attorney’s office" and to set "the record truly straight with the facts that voters deserve." He's been doing that ad nauseum since he started his race in January. It's no surprise that The Morning Call, WFMZ-TV69 and Lehigh Valley News took a powder. It was just me and an Express Times reporter. We suffered through an hour-long harangue in which he attacked nearly everyone within spitting distance, including President Judge Michael J Koury, Jr. He even yelled at me, although I know he still loves me. By now, I'm used to his repetition and anger..What bothered me was where he was doing this electioneering.  He was in spitting distance of the drop box set up in the courthouse rotunda for election ballots.  In fact, at least one voter dropped off hers in the middle of Steve's sermon.

Under the Elections Code, a drop box is essentially a satellite office or polling place. No electioneering is permitted within 10' of any polling place. I believe Baratta's podium was inside that 10' boundary. Tony Rybak, a lawyer who thinks he's going to be Baratta's top lieutenant, disputes this. He says it's 20' away. Whatever the distance, the fact is that this is the only way in or out for people casting a ballot. They had to walk right by him. 

Electioneering includes handing out flyers or telling voters who to support. Baratta had a campaign sign at his podium and was certainly telling people how they should vote. When I brought this to his attention, he said he was taking advantage of the space provided, and continued his fulmination. 

I asked DA Terry Houck for his view, and he agreed that electioneering near a drop box is "certainly not appropriate. The rules don't apply to him."  

During his presser, Baratta claimed that when he was President Judge, there was no backlog of criminal cases. But now that Judge Koury is at the helm and running criminal arraignments, Baratta claims that backlog is creeping up again.  

Baratta is one of those guys who thinks only he can do everything right.  

26 comments:

  1. The information Mr. Baratta provided is concerning and is in fact, true. Someone was humiliated in that office. But you gloss over it. That makes you just as bad of a person as Terry is.

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    1. SomeONE was humiliated? All of the support staff have been humiliated by the same person making the racist claims. People only talk about the Assistant District Attorney's that leave, but the turn over of support staff is more alarming. If Baratta will keep this person in charge he is just as bad as Houck.

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    2. I agree! The person making these claims is definitely the culprit as to why the clerical staff leave!!!! She is mean, she is rude, she is disrespectful, she badgers the staff… makes them feel uncomfortable and there have been multiple complaints about her, but nothing has been done by HR! Why don’t you get that information out! If Baratta leaves her in this position, he will surely regret it just as much as Terry is right now!

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  2. If I'm as bad as Terry, that means I'm getting better.

    It's getting sad to watch. Aren't you starting to wonder why three local news organizations skipped this entirely? It's just the same refrain, over and over and over. Yesterday, he also got into it with one of the ADAs bc he was criticizing a case she tried. She was not too happy with him. I could go into great deal in what was one of the strangest pressers I ever covered, in which he argued with several people over the course of an hour. But I'll stick withy where he held it. As a lawyer and former judge, he should have known that he has to curb active electioneering near a drop box. That was the worst possible place to conduct a news conference. He should have known better. And he wants to be DA? They are supposed to enforce the law, not break it.

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  3. Criticizing the form while ignoring the substance.

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  4. Your reportage of this election is completely personality driven and not factual, or issue based. You slam the messenger Baratta continuously on manner and style points, but ignore the very real and concerning issues in the DAs office. BTW on good intelligence: issues that will roost in the Second Houck administration- if there is to be one.

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  5. BernieOHare to 8:31, I’ve reported all factual allegations as wel as all issues raised. I’ve debunked several of the factual claims made by Baratta bc they are simply inaccurate. What I won’t do is keep repeating his mantras. Sorry. Yesterday he was confronted by one of the assistant DAs. Perhaps I should report on that so you can begin attacking her, too, in addition to the DA and President Judge. He made a factual claim yesterday about the Juvenile Justice Center, claiming it made $ when he was PJ. That is demonstrably false and there have been several stories on this blog showing it to be demonstrably false. That’s from the court’s own accountants.

    What I chose to focus on is where he held that presser, right by a drop box. At least one person voted during his tirade. His manner is terrible and that matters in a DA. I am sorry. He has really tarnished himself in this race.

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  6. Have Houck produce a letter from the Ethics committee that he didn’t violate any laws concerning that referral fee from Kline and Specter. Have Houck tell us why 13 people on his staff mostly women have left. I understand 3 more will be leaving by the end of. This month. There is something wrong with Terry Houck, he doesn’t deserve to be re-elected.

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  7. Since we got the drop boxes and MIB’s without the required amendment to the state constitution, I’m not all that concerned about this supposed violation.

    If we’re going to disregard one law, why follow the others?

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  8. Baratta is getting desperate because he senses he’s losing and he’s angry about it. Berating an ADA and Judge Koury, a great Judge by the way, shows his temperament is not worthy of being a judge or a DA IMO.

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  9. I received and have rejected a comment attacking one of the clerical staff. There is no place for that kind of nonsense here.

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  10. I am no longer subscribing to the belief that Baratta is both a good man and good lawyer. Over the span of the last few months, he has proven himself to be a self-loving windbag who will sully another’s reputation if it gets him ahead. His lies on his campaign mailers make him unfit for office and I can only hope the voters have more of a clue than Steve. He is a danger to Northampton County, will polarize the office of the district attorney, and cause more problems than he says he will solve. I have zero respect for a man I once held in high esteem.

    With his attack on Koury, it is certainly obvious Baratta is running out of spite and either wants to create drama where there is none
    or fight the battles of his buddy on the bench.

    Bernie, I care less about the proximity to the ballot box and more about the confrontation with the ADA (good for her!) and the lies he told. Since the news agencies chose to ignore this stunt, I ask that you fill is in on what he had to say.

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  11. Just received the biggest bullshit flyer from Baratta yesterday. I voted mail in and hand delivered it Monday. That flyer would only reinforce my vote , had it not been cast.

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  12. Years ago the deputy sheriff association penned a letter about 2 judges behavior that violated articles in the accreditation policy the citizens of Northampton County spent $200,000 to have implemented
    Judge Baratta reacted by signing his name to an order banning a deputy from his courtroom
    Now Baratta is engaging in the same behavior towards Houck
    The voters of this county need to ban him from the DA race
    Vote Houck not hypocrite

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  13. Bernie the more I read your blog the more I think you and Terry should join the L.V. Tea Party.

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  14. Last night I received a campaign call from the Houck camp claiming that Baratta gave (or received) something like $105,000 to (or from) a judge. No other information was offered and it seemed like an odd call. Can anyone shed light on it for me?

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  15. This smacks of a very bitter exit interview. He's going to get his electoral ass handed to him in a stunningly embarrassing end to what might have been considered a distinguished career. He just wants to flail at all of his perceived enemies over the years and go out in a ball of flames. He's succeeding. What a countywide embarrassment. A toilet in the courthouse should be dedicated in his name.

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  16. As a person who has the authority and means to destroy an individual by the mere act of approving an arrest, I would expect more humility and respect. As a judge, he could muck it up but there are appeals and one may be able to stay out of jail or reverse a faulty verdict. As a DA, the mere fact that one is arrested has led to a broken family, loss of jobs, extreme expenses to hire lawyers. If you are wrongly arrested the arrest record stays with you for life, with few exceptions. I don't want a vindictive DA in that office.

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  17. "Last night I received a campaign call from the Houck camp claiming that Baratta gave (or received) something like $105,000 to (or from) a judge. No other information was offered and it seemed like an odd call. Can anyone shed light on it for me?"

    Yes, Terry sent a mailer out about it. I'd prefer not to go into it. Terry is obviously responding to Baratta's attacks with one of his own. The truth is that they both have high integrity.

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  18. Baratta sure has nerve, but he has a huge advantage in that Houck has a job and can’t campaign all day, every day. It was an absolute slap in the face to stage this presser in the courthouse and shows that Baratta wants to demean and humiliate. While I respect your opinion, Bernie, I can’t agree that Baratta has integrity.

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    1. Seek help, Patti. It's politics. Get over it.

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  19. Actually, 9:12 pm, my name is Mari. And yours is?

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  20. He wishes he had a 10th of Judge Koury's work ethic or integrity!!

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  21. Well, I saw this Baratta's baby-killer ad on TV tonight, so he's definitely out for me. I need to find out where Houck stands on saving innocent life; maybe I'll end up writing him in on the R side.

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  22. Bernie, you hit the nail on the head with this description of Baratta: "His manner is terrible and that matters in a DA."

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