Tresslar herself was a successful Wall Street lawyer, but her own custody dispute made her realize just how important these cases are to mothers, fathers and most importantly, their children. She worked with parties, often beyond the hour slotted for a case, to ensure a just resolution.
She did the work of three part-time custody masters once employed by the court. Her greatest gift was her ability to listen, but in truth, she should be a judge herself. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of its prestigious law review. That's pretty incredible for a conservative from Arkansas. Among the students she edited was Sonia Sotomayor Elena Kagan, who now is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
We were incredibly fortunate to have her serving Northampton County courts. But she may have done her job just a little too well.
Below is her resignation letter. It's lengthy, but it's a quick read. She is claiming that Judges Jennifer Sletvold and Paula Roscioli, along with Court Administrator Jermaine Greene, created a hostile work environment under which she finds it impossible to continue the outstanding work she has done.
I am shocked by the petty behavior from people who apparently are willing to sacrifice the best interests of our children to satisfy some petty jealousy.
I am writing to submit my resignation as custody master. In numerous previous memoranda, I have detailed harassing and bullying behavior by Judge Jennifer R. Sletvold, Judge Paula A. Roscioli, and Court Administrator J. Jermaine Greene, Sr. The three of them are demonstrably motivated by age and sex discrimination. They are threatened by, and hostile toward, any woman who is talented, hardworking, and has earned the respect of judges, attorneys, and other opinion leaders in the community. They have created a hostile work environment in the courthouse, not only for me but for many other older women. Although I have never done anything to any of them, they have been so threatened by me that they have become obsessed with destroying me. They have been trying to drive me out of the courthouse for the past five years. They have waged an unrelenting campaign to limit my role and destroy my value to the court. They have defamed me, publicly humiliated me, and made every effort to make me appear incompetent. Because I stood my ground, and because they could not persuade the two past President Judges to fire me, they began actively sabotaging the Custody Division, hoping to destroy its magnificent operations and use that as a basis for saying I had lost my effectiveness. When you became President Judge five months ago, in May 2023, you immediately endorsed their agenda, adopted the new custody procedures they had requested, and placed Mr. Greene in charge of all administrative functions of the Custody Division, demoting me into oblivion. Mr. Greene has now deliberately plunged the Custody Division into complete disarray. He has violated our longstanding procedures and even the procedures you yourself recently adopted. If he is allowed to continue, the court will soon be in violation of the State Rules of Civil Procedure, and the custody court will no longer be a realistic resource for the children and families of Northampton County.
I have worked for almost forty years to develop my professional expertise and establish relationships with judges and attorneys. I cannot allow these people to inflict further damage on my professional reputation. My working conditions have become intolerable. No reasonable person could be expected to continue working in such an environment. Although you have not fired me, your knowing indulgence of the actions taken against me constitutes constructive termination. I am therefore compelled to resign.
I. The Custody Court Under President Judge Baratta
In 2014, nine years ago, there was no custody office. The court was drowning in custody cases, and they seriously hampered the operations of the entire court. The daily proceedings in Motions Court were swamped with custody disputes, both large and small. On each week's Miscellaneous Hearing List, every judge was assigned multiple custody cases. On the monthly Non-Jury Trial Lists, there were typically as many as fifty to seventy custody cases, an impossible number.
In 2014, then-President Judge Stephen G. Baratta completely overhauled the custody court. He created the position of full-time custody master and hired me to fill that role. He placed me in charge of all administrative functions of the custody court, reporting directly to him. The judges and attorneys responded well to the new procedures we implemented, and they began to make great use of the custody office.
As a result of Judge Baratta's overhaul of the custody court and implementation of our new custody procedures, we were able to reduce the number of custody filings by twenty-five percent. Previous custody masters had settled approximately thirty percent of their cases. By contrast, I settled approximately eighty-five percent of my cases. The number of custody petitions presented at the daily proceedings in Motions Court and on the weekly Miscellaneous Hearing Lists slowed to a trickle. Even when cases failed to settle and moved forward to trial, I continued working to settle them. Thus, of the fifteen percent of cases that did not settle at the initial conference with me, more than half settled between the time of the conference and the time of trial. At the start of a typical Non-Jury Trial week, instead of having fifty to seventy custody cases on the list, now there typically would be only five to fifteen cases. Most of those cases were so well prepared, and so thoroughly documented in my written case summaries, that the judges were able to settle them without conducting a trial, eliminating the need for generating expensive transcripts and performing time-consuming analyses and written judicial opinions. In short, the new system, which Judge Baratta envisioned and I designed and implemented, ran beautifully.
II. The Custody Court Under President Judge Koury
When Judge Michael J. Koury, Jr. became President Judge in 2018, he maintained the custody procedures that Judge Baratta had established during his administration. In addition, President Judge Koury created a formal Custody Division of the court. He appointed Judge Sletvold to serve as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division. As I have outlined extensively in previous memoranda, from the very beginning of her tenure as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division, Judge Sletvold was inexplicably threatened by me. She was determined to limit my authority and my value to the other judges. She went so far as to prohibit me from even speaking to the other judges, an order that was contrary to my years of practice and that President Judge Koury quickly overruled. When Judge Sletvold's efforts to restrict my role failed, she demanded that President Judge Koury fire me. President Judge Koury refused. He advised her that he and the other judges greatly valued the role I played at the court and that if she could not work with me, he would appoint a different judge to oversee the Custody Division.
Judge Sletvold repeatedly refused to accept President Judge Koury's directives about how I was to perform my job. She would not cease her obsessive efforts to have me fired. Thus, after only one year, President Judge Koury removed Judge Sletvold from her position as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division. He told me that I would never again be required to speak to her. In the four years since then, I have not spoken to her.
After President Judge Koury removed Judge Sletvold as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division, he appointed Judge Baratta to replace her. Judge Baratta resumed his prior control of the custody court, and he continued to run it very successfully until January 2022, when he stepped down. At that time, President Judge Koury appointed Judge John M. Morganelli to succeed him as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division.
Even after Judge Sletvold was removed as my boss and forbidden to speak to me, she continued to wage an unrelenting campaign of attacks against me. She enlisted the support of Judge Roscioli and Court Administrator Greene, both of whom were also threatened by me, for reasons I have never been able to decipher. Over the past five years, the three of them have never stopped prosecuting their personal vendetta against me.
III. Your Decision To Demote Me When You Became President Judge
When you succeeded Judge Koury as President Judge of the Court in May 2023, you immediately endorsed the agenda of Judges Sletvold and Roscioli and allowed Court Administrator Greene to take control of the administrative functions of the Custody Division. Mr. Greene immediately stripped me of my duties, responsibilities, and authority. Although Mr. Greene was not an attorney and had no idea how the custody office functioned, he insulted my competence and professionalism, telling me that I was ineffective at my job. He hired a part-time master, Roseann Joseph, who had been selected by Judges Sletvold and Roscioli. He downgraded my status below that of the part-time custody master, assigning her the more important cases, giving her exclusive control over our two staff assistants, and forcing me to begin performing my own clerical work. He identified all of the things I did that made me valuable to the judges, and ordered me to stop doing them. For example, he told me that if judges called me for helpwith their hearings or trials when I was holding a custody conference, I was to refuse their requests and tell them I could not interrupt my conference because I was not permitted to alter my conference schedule. He told me that if a case did not settle within its allotted one-hour time slot, I was to abandon the case, list it for trial, and move on to the next case. He told me that I must cease my practice of working at night and on weekends to settle cases and assist judges with drafting their custody orders. He said that my working long hours only proved that I had a "time-management problem." Mr. Greene's directives were transparent efforts to fulfill Judge Sletvold's and Judge Roscioli's longtime goal of restricting my role, diminishing my value to the other judges, making me appear lazy and incompetent, thereby making it easier to terminate me.
IV. Mr. Greene's Efforts To Sabotage the Custody Division
One month ago, on September 11, 2023, Mr. Greene fired Susan Stametz, our most valuable staff assistant, for no legitimate reason. Although Ms. Stametz was an exceptional employee and was vital to the functioning of the Custody Division, Mr. Greene did not replace her and has made no effort to do so. In the month since then, he has assigned no one to perform most of the one-hundred-plus tasks that Ms. Stametz previously performed on a weekly basis. He has deliberately left her email account and telephone number active but has refused to review her incoming emails and telephone messages, leading parties and attorneys to believe that she still works for the County but is simply refusing to respond to their urgent requests. These tactics have not only made Ms. Stametz and me appear incompetent and unprofessional, they have also created staggering problems for parties, attorneys, and judges.
Our one remaining staff assistant, Lauren Haas, is not performing Ms. Stametz's tasks. She has no time to perform even the most mission-critical tasks of the Custody Division, because Mr. Greene completely changed her job description and now requires her to serve as personal assistant to the part-time custody master, Roseann Joseph. Although no custody master, including me, has ever had a personal assistant (Northampton County does not have the budget for that), Mr. Greene deliberately allowed Master Joseph to monopolize every moment of Ms. Haas's time. Ms. Haas tells me that Master Joseph overloads her with incomprehensible requests, pages her whenever she steps away from her desk to file orders or check out files, and bombards her with phone calls outside regular business hours, even thoughshe is only an hourly-paid worker and does not receive compensation for responding to such calls. Attorneys regularly tell me that Master Joseph berates and insults Ms. Haas in front of parties and attorneys. Ms. Haas is well-liked by the attorneys, and they find this behavior distressing. Ms. Haas is now overwhelmed and unable to handle the demands being placed on her. It is only a matter of time before she leaves the County for a better position where she will not be subjected to such treatment.
V. Your Decision To Reverse Course, Remove Mr. Greene from the Custody Division, and Restore Me To My Former Position
On Wednesday of this week, October 11, 2023, you held a lengthy meeting with Mr. Greene and my immediate superior, Judge Morganelli, Administrative Judge of the Custody Division. At that meeting, Judge Morganelli detailed numerous catastrophic failures that had occurred in the Custody Division after you had allowed Mr. Greene to take over my job responsibilities. Judge Morganelli advised that the Custody Division had descended into chaos under Mr. Greene's direction and was now in free fall.
As it was reported to me by Judge Morganelli, at the end of the meeting, you and Judge Morganelli agreed that allowing Mr. Greene to take over my job responsibilities had been a disaster. You and Judge Morganelli advised Mr. Greene that he would no longer have any authority over the Custody Division and that I would be restored to my former position. After the meeting, Judge Morganelli sent me an email stating: "Effective immediately, with approval of the [President Judge], you shall be charged with the scheduling of all of the custody conferences and assigning them to either yourself or [Master Joseph]. Court Administration will no longer be involved in the day to day operations of the custody division."
VI. Your Reversal of Your Decision To Remove Mr. Greene, Followed By Judge Morganelli's Resignation as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division
The following day, Thursday, October 12, 2023, Judge Morganelli called to tell me that you had reneged on the agreement that you and he had reached the day before. Apparently, you still agreed with Judge Morganelli that removing Mr. Greene from the Custody Division was the right thing to do, but you were now afraid to do so, because Mr. Greene had complained to the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts ("AOPC").
In response, Judge Morganelli immediately submitted his resignation as Administrative Judge of the Custody Division. He pointed out that you had deprived him of decision-making authority and were allowing Mr. Greene, an administrative support employee, to dictate policy and procedure to a judge, which he found unacceptable. He said that your indulgence of Mr. Greene's behavior had now made it impossible for him to administer the Custody Division and save it from certain collapse.
VII. Court Administration's Outrageous Harassment of My Son Jake When He Came to the Courthouse To Collect the Personal Belongings of the Staff Assistant Whom Mr. Greene Had Fired
Yesterday, my 23-year-old son Jake and his friend Bob, the 20-year-old son of Susan Stametz's significant other, came to the courthouse to pick up Ms. Stametz's personal belongings. I had gathered Ms. Stametz's personal items and placed them on the floor in Lauren Haas's office in the custody office suite.
County Executive Lamont McClure has exclusive jurisdiction over the custody office. At Mr. McClure's directive, access to the custody office is controlled by the Sheriff of Northampton County, Rich Johnston, who reports to Mr. McClure. Ms. Haas and I were both taking a vacation day yesterday. Ms. Haas was attending a wedding, and I had an appointment for an important medical procedure in Virginia. Thus, neither of us were going to be present at the courthouse when Jake and Bob came to collect Ms. Stametz's personal items. Accordingly, Ms. Stametz pre-arranged with the Sheriff's Office that Jake and Bob would check in with the Sheriff's deputies when they arrived at the courthouse, that they would use my key to enter Lauren Haas's office to retrieve Susan's personal items, and that they would follow any and all directives of the Sheriff's Office while they were there.
As pre-arranged, when Jake and Bob arrived at the courthouse yesterday, they checked in with the Sheriff's deputies and followed the deputies' instructions. However, when Jake and Bob arrived at the custody office, the part-time custody master, Roseann Joseph, questioned their authority to be there. They explained who they were and why they were there, but Master Joseph was unpersuaded. She went into her office, and a few moments later, Mr. Greene's Deputy Court Administrator, Gina Gibbs, entered the custody office. Ms. Gibbs forcefully told Jake and Bob that they had no right to be there, and she ordered them to leave immediately. Jake explained that he and Bob had received permission from the Sheriff's Office to collect Susan's personal items. Ms. Gibbs told Jake that it was "not the Sheriff's decision to make." She said that Court Administration, not the Sheriff, controlled the custody office. She said that Court Administration would have to ensure that Ms. Stametz, Jake, and Bob were not attempting to improperly remove any court property or court documents from the courthouse.
Ms. Gibbs's contentions were preposterous. First, as noted above, it was unquestionably the County Executive, and, by his authority, the Sheriff, who controlled access to the custody office, not Court Administration. Second, Jake and Bob had followed all appropriate protocols, had politely explained why they were there, and clearly posed no security threat. Third, it was obvious at a glance that the small collection of personal items sitting on the floor of Ms. Haas's office consisted solely of Ms. Stametz's mini refrigerator and microwave, her lamp, her family photos, her potted plants, her holiday decorations, a couple of sweaters, some cough drops, and a few other odds and ends. There was no office equipment, no files, no folders, nor any documents of any kind. Nevertheless, Ms. Gibbs aggressively warned Jake and Bob that they must abandon Ms. Stametz's personal items and vacate the premises immediately.
I do not blame Ms. Gibbs for falsely telling Jake and Bob that the Sheriff had no authority to permit them access to the custody office. Ms. Gibbs only recently started her job, and she was undoubtedly acting on orders from Mr. Greene. Mr. Greene, however, was well aware that the County Executive, not Court Administration, controls the custody office and that Court Administration has no authority to control access to that suite of rooms. Thus, if Mr. Greene advised Ms. Gibbs that the Sheriff had no authority to grant access to the custody office, Mr. Greene was lying to her.
After Ms. Gibbs evicted Jake and Bob from the custody office, they returned to the Sheriff's Office. County Executive Lamont McClure was made aware of the situation. Mr. McClure then directed Rich Johnston, Sheriff of Northampton County, to send two armed deputies to escort Jake and Bob back to the custody office. Mr. McClure and Sheriff Johnston directed the deputies to take any action they deemed necessary to ensure that the boys were permitted to remove Ms. Stametz's personal belongings from the courthouse. Mr. McClure specifically directed that the deputies were to take no orders from the Office of Court Administration.
When the two armed deputies escorted Jake and Bob back to the custody office, Custody Master Roseann Joseph again questioned their authority to be there. The deputies advised Master Joseph that they had arranged for someone from Court Administration to observe Jake's and Bob's removal of Ms. Stametz's personal items. Shortly thereafter, two employees from Court Administration (not Ms. Gibbs) arrived to observe. Within approximately one minute, the two employees agreed with Jake and Bob that none of Ms. Stametz's personal items were court property. The deputies stayed to ensure that Jake and Bob were able to take Ms. Stametz's belongings out to their vehicle.
This episode was utterly absurd and an embarrassment to the court. Mr. Greene obviously had no genuine concern that Ms. Stametz was trying to steal court property or court documents. He was simply harassing these two innocent boys as a way to continue harassing Ms. Stametz and me, in obvious retaliation against us for the serious and well-founded complaints we had made about him. More disturbing, Mr. Greene knew that these two unsuspecting boys would have no way of knowing that Ms. Gibbs's statements about Court Administration's asserted jurisdiction over the custody office were false. Mr. Greene knew that the boys would be defenseless against his bullying tactics. Jake and Bob were fortunate that County Executive Lamont McClure intervened in the situation and ordered Sheriff Johnston to overrule Mr. Greene.
This entire episode was embarrassing and shameful. The fact that Mr. Greene would stage a hostile confrontation with the Sheriff's Office over a few house plants and some family photos is simply one more indication that Mr. Greene will stop at nothing to prosecute his vendetta against me.
VIII. My Inability To Continue Performing My Job
Like Judge Morganelli, I find that Mr. Greene's interference in the custody office has made it impossible for me to continue performing my job. Mr. Greene has stripped me of my duties, responsibilities, and authority. He has downgraded my status below that of the part-time custody master. He has fired my most valuable assistant, for no legitimate reason. My one remaining assistant is now completely overwhelmed and unable to perform her duties. Almost all of the administrative functions of the Custody Division, including many that are mission-critical, have now fallen by the wayside and are no longer being performed by anyone.
I am now forced to spend much of my time doing clerical work instead of my own job, settling custody cases. I also spend a great deal of time addressing the neverending barrage of complaints I receive from parties and attorneys about Mr. Greene's inexcusable failures. Many of the parties and attorneys lodging these complaints have complained directly to Mr. Greene, but they tell me that he has simply ignored them and failed to respond.
Judge Morganelli, my boss and longtime colleague, with whom I have always enjoyed an excellent professional relationship, has now resigned. He has told you that Mr. Greene's behavior, and your indulgence of Mr. Greene's behavior, have made it impossible for him to administer the Custody Division. Judge Morganelli is a gifted leader. He has a powerful intellect, incisive judgment, and strong interpersonal skills. If it is impossible for him to do his job, it is certainly impossible for me to do mine.
More important, Mr. Greene has defamed me, publicly humiliated me, and made every effort to make me appear lazy and incompetent. I cannot continue working in an environment that allows Mr. Greene the opportunity to inflict further damage on my professional reputation. No reasonable person could continue working under these conditions. The situation has become intolerable. Although you have not fired me, as noted above, Mr.Greene's actions, and your knowing indulgence of his actions, constituteconstructive termination. Thus, I must resign.
This is my two weeks' notice. However, if you would prefer that I vacate my position sooner, I will comply.
87 comments:
What a clown show put on by a bunch of horses' asses.
This attorney is from out of town. She is getting harassed by Paula, Jenn, and drunk Roseann. These are townies. That's typical NorCo good ole boy or in this case, good ole girl system.
Does this mean there will be a lawsuit?
Wow....what a nightmare. Question: To whom is this letter addressed? I didn't see it anywhere.
To well-educated to be a county judge. You need a name, money and political connections. There seems to be some serious stuff going on in the county. Morganelli, Barata and McClure. Some deep happenings.
Master Joseph was relieved (I’m sure the courts will say she was reassigned) of her duties as the N.C. Juvenile Court Master years ago due to numerous and constant complaints of hostile behaviors towards attorneys, CYF caseworkers and supervisors, parents and children. Her behaviors led to a max exodus of casework staff in the CYF Division. It’s saddening to hear she is back hearing cases involving children and families because those families will not receive any compassion or respect. Nor will the people working for her.
She reads like my two ex-wives. Yikes. Give it a rest, hon. Bye.
I don't have time to read all of her bitter monologue. Bye, Felicia.
Wow
Just wow.
Usually there are 2 sides to every story but she paints a compelling picture...
Time to send Administrator Greene packing with DA Houck. Ineffectual leadership. He’s already seeing the personnel vacuum that DA Houck took a few years to successfully cultivate.
Unbelievable. Greene thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, when in fact everyone knows how unintelligent he really is...
Parking has always been a problem at the courthouse. Each Judge has their own designated parking space within the woefully undersized parking garage.
Taxpayers historically have complained about the yearly increase in taxes without a corresponding increase in services or open spaces.
I submit Germaine, in his capacity as an incompetent, vindictive and vengeful Court Administrator, remove all the reserved Judge assigned parking spaces, save for one, and convert them into open space for raised botanical gardens with grow lights.
As for the coveted missing judicial parking spaces, Jermaine can buy a clown car with seating for 7 and they can all park in the one remaining space.
Note: For the integrity of the comment I included all seven Judges for the aforementioned clown car, but, there are some very good honorable judges at the Courthouse, you and we know who they are, so I cry their pardon.
Some heroes don’t wear capes. Bravo to Lisa Tresslar, who by the way is one of the sweetest and considerate person you’ve ever meet, for exposing Roscioli and Sletvold as narcissistic divas with high-level delusions of grandeur. You’d be hard pressed to find any Norco employee or local attorney who actually like these two smug judges. They have a reputation for being condescending for no reason and out of touch with reality. And don’t even get me started with Jermaine, I can write an entire dissertation about his failures.
I thought Panella is the be all and end all of custody masters B.O.?!? Why isn't this woman running for judge if she's such a great custody master ? Dont forget that according to you that's the only experience you need to be on the Common Pleas bench...
That this is happening in a Court system as prestigious and revered for its professionalism as Northampton County is just plain sad. We’ve gone from producing more appellate and federal judges per capita than any other county in the Commonwealth to … this. Shameful.
Doesn't surprise me. Sad State of affairs.
Lisa Tresslar will be missed. She was an excellent Custody Master and was a perfect example of how someone in that role should operate.
I can corroborate former Master Tresslar's allegations against Court Administrator Jermaine Green and Judge Jennifer Sletvolt. I would much rather see those two individuals removed from their positions and see Lisa Tresslar return.
Luckily, we have the opportunity to rid of ourselves of Judge Seltvolt this November 7, as she is up for retention. I can't think of a more arrogant and emotional judge nor someone who more demonstrably allows their personal bias into the courtroom. Judge Paula Roscioli, also mentioned in this article, is up for retention in 2025.
On November 7, VOTE NO FOR JENNIFER SLETVOLT!
Very few people know or understand the outrageous, and perhaps criminal behavior that goes on in Northampton County Court of Common Pleas.
I hope that the publication of these unfortunate and troubling events serves a wake up call to the citizens of Northampton County.
I wonder if we can get the "other" side of this?
If these allegations are accurate and I have no reason to believe otherwise, someone should be FIRED... if not protected by CIVIL SERVICE.
What a waste of the taxpayers money not to mention the loss of a talented employees. You would think JUDGES would be above this jr. high behavior... i guess not !!!
I assume McClure knows what is going on there but is powerless to do anything ?
Thanks for reporting this sir.
WOW.... I am not normally a "sue , sue, sue" person, but it sounds like there are very serious allegations here and NUMEROUS high ranking "officials" need to be reigned in, and their actions investigated.
I hope you follow this story. Unfortunately, the idea that SR Judges/clerks/admin etc behave this way is appalling. This reads like a Phillipsburg town council article.
Any chance of the "vicitm" running for a Judges position? It certainly would be the ultimate move.
No wonder McClure has no time to fix the shitters at Louise Moore Park
@9:04
Lisa Tresslar would make a fantastic judge, and now that she will no longer be barred from engaging in the political sphere due to the inherent conflict as a Custody Master, I would love to see her run.
Vote NO to Jennifer Sletvolt on November 7, and let's fill that open seat with someone more suited to the role.
"I thought Panella is the be all and end all of custody masters B.O.?!? Why isn't this woman running for judge if she's such a great custody master ? Dont forget that according to you that's the only experience you need to be on the Common Pleas bench..."
Panella was a custody master under Lisa and in LC as well. I'm sure he learned a lot from her. As for Lisa, the reason she is not running for judge is that she loved being a custody master. She thought it was very important work. Believe me, numerous attorneys suggested to her that she run. She declined. I think that Judge letvold, who wanted to be a federal judge at the time, may have viewed Lisa as a threat bc Lisa is a conservative R who has impeccable qualifications. But Lisa loved being a custody master and there was no reason for Sletvold to be concerned or jealous.
I will be writing each of our County Council Members, as well as Council President to urge that a meeting of the Courts and Correction Committee be scheduled to ascertain what is going on and how to fix it.
Judge Dally inherited this mess, and I believe that given an opportunity, he will do his best to correct it.
"I wonder if we can get the "other" side of this?"
I have reached out to Jermaine Greene for the other side. I do not know that I will get one bc this involves personnel. But frankly, I am outraged that two highly qualified people (Sue and Lisa) are gone. And sometimes there is only one side. Lisa was fine under Baratta, Koury and Morganelli. And Judge Morganelli actually stepped down as custody judge over Dally's refusal to intervene and rein in Greene.
Greene is a nonlawyer. He has no business running a custody division. It properly belonged where it was.
"Wow....what a nightmare. Question: To whom is this letter addressed? I didn't see it anywhere."
The letter is addressed to PJ Craig Dally.
the Judges and Court administration are more than clowns they are crooks that should be in jail as any thief they put in.
This Attorney was insufferable, bullying and childish. With Baratta's consent, she broke Pennsylvania custody rules and disadvantaged parents for years. The goal was less work for Baratta, not justice for children and families. Kudos that she is gone.
If she sues?, there are many witnesses who can testify that she blatantly spoke viciously of Judges Roscioli and Sletvoldt both as women and judges in a manner that was incomprehensibly juvenile and professionally unacceptable.
She lives in Virginia and is not even a Pennsylvania resident.
There is definitely another side to this story. This resignation letter, which reads like a thirteen year old egotist wrote it, is not even half the story.
President Judge Dally
Ms. Tresslar has been subject to this alleged mistreatment since 2018 under the named judges, President Judges, and court administrator, but raises the issue publicly 3 weeks before election day. Rather curious isn't it?
This courthouse has been going downhill for years. What was once among the best paying and highest morale has turned into an absolutely inhospitable environment. It is true that Jermaine is unhinged, bizarre, and likes to call his court reporters his wives. If you are a talented person working at this courthouse, rest assured anyone in a position of power will break you down mentally and harass you to tears at least once per quarter. Even the most agile and confident employees find themselves stuck in the Northampton county vortex wondering what they’ve done wrong to deserve such abuse by a bunch of nonsensical idiots who somehow stumbled into their current position despite lacking any relevant qualifications.
It seems this courthouse is committed to losing talent at any opportunity as evidenced by this resignation. It’s unlikely they will be able to retain the majority of the talent they have left; given that many of the employees are among the lowest salaried in the state. They’d all have better luck heading over to bordering counties.
It’s an open secret that there’s something very shady going on behind the scenes in this establishment. Whether or not an investigation is opened remains to be seen. In the mean time, I encourage everyone to check out this clown show on YouTube from September 15 2022 to see this “administration” in action.
First off… the return of Roseanne Joseph is laughable. She was horrible to CYF staff when she was a CYF court master. Often ripping apart workers rather than focusing on abusive parents and what they weren’t doing. Judge Sletvold has been just as horrible. It’s sad to hear about the mean girls network. Judge Dally has always shown himself to be a respectable man and I hope that he will look into these allegations. Allegations continue to be brought about regarding Mr Greene and they get swept under the rug. The Juvenile Justice Center had a large issue with the treatment of staff. What did County Council do when asked to look into it? They took him at his word, even though Mr Greene is often rude and dismissive of them, and even approved nice raises for those accused of the mistreatment of staff. When will these allegations finally be actually addressed? Look at how many have left on the Court side. Many will say it’s because of Court Administration. Qualified workers are getting passed over for positions. Bad leaders are getting promoted. And sadly….people still jump on here and want to blame McClure. For once, look at the real problem and stop deflecting from the issues by throwing McClure into the mix. You can blame him for a lot but the Courts aren’t his issue. Currently they are Judge Dally’s and he needs to put a stop to this non-sense. If Greene is guiding his decisions, the legacy of good work he has done is about to be flushed down the toilet.
Hi Jermaine
BernieOHare to 10:48, I have known Lisa Tresslar for several years. I have had numerous conversations with her during that time and never once heard her disparage anyone associated with the courts. I was so impressed by what she did with custody that I wanted to do a story. She said she needed permission from Judge Sletvold, and that was the last I heard about it. I just assumed she was too busy. Now I think she was barred.
As for her residence, you need to be honest. Several years ago, one of her sons was accepted at a college in Va. she established a residence there but maintained her residence here. So when you claim she lives in Va. and not here, you know that is false.
If you can stand to be around both Roscioli and Sletvold for any length of time, you’d understand the criticism Lisa had for these two blowhards was legitimate. Trust me, Paula and Jennifer are both so toxic that they would be at each other’s throats if they weren’t elected judges themselves.
BernieOHare to 11:23, it appears that former PJs Baratta and Koury understood the value that Tresslar had for custody. They respected her. It is only under PJ Dally that things suddenly changed. Tresslar was demoted and a part time custody master was placed in charge who apparently has caused problems elsewhere. A valuable employee in that office was treated like garbage and was taken away from her assigned duties to essentially be a hand maiden to a pt custody master who is technologically challenged. After losing her job, the court administrator interfered with her attempt to remove her frickin’ house plants. Tresslar was essentially driven out of there, by a court system that considers itself unanswerable. That this happened close to an election is something the courts should have considered but I doubt it had any bearing on Tresslar’s decision.
I must say I am totally shocked to learn this kind of behavior comes from people I respect.
1. I am an older female and have never had a negative interaction with Judges Sletvold or Roscioli. They have treated me respectfully and I am not a woman in a position of any sort of authority.
2. I don’t like character assassination and this letter reads as such, especially knowing the named parties can’t defend themselves.
3. So, this esteemed lawyer is scamming the Commonwealth of VA. Having a residence there so she can get an in-state tuition break? Nice if you can work that angle; too bad for the working class schmucks who can’t afford two houses. To me, that is unethical, but hey, she is a lawyer.
I already did. By mail. Godspeed!
as a current employee I confirm it is a level 5 circus in here. Every day, I walk one mile from my car since I do not get a parking spot. I have to leave my car in the McDonald’s parking lot and walk up the hill. So far it’s been broken into 3 times. I asked about if they will build more spaces but rumor has it budget is siphoned to inside of the courthouse where there’s a hidden wall behind one of the courtrooms. This room has standing desks and video game console I have seen it in person in the darkness of night. Do not trust the budget cuts just find the hidden room and you will see it has everything you need. Be grateful to work here in this economy!
This is so sad and completely believable. Northampton County courts are nothing but an embarrassment to this area anymore. The way Roscioli treats people in the courtroom is disgraceful! As a woman, I find her gross, the way she carries herself with such little class. Sletvold is no better, so not at all surprised to hear the "ugly girls" jealous of the "pretty, accomplished girl". Aside from Sletvold and Roscioli conducting themselves in such a petty, unprofessional, classless way, I am most disappointed in Judge Daley, to whom this resignation letter was written to. He has always appeared to be a stand-up guy. I truly believed he had the backbone to stand up to this type of petty, toxic culture. Apparently, he may lack Administrative skills.
I have had opportunities to practice in NC custody court. Lisa Tresslar handled her role as a consummate professional and brought much needed change to the division. I know other attorneys that refuse to now take custody cases in Northampton County because of the mess that exists. I myself will no longer do custody work there because the custody court is such a joke.
"I have to leave my car in the McDonald’s parking lot and walk up the hill. So far it’s been broken into 3 times. I asked about if they will build more spaces but rumor has it budget is siphoned to inside of the courthouse where there’s a hidden wall behind one of the courtrooms."
Do you also get to pay Panto's commuter penalty tax on county workers from outside Easton?
BernieOHare to 12:21, Lisa Tresslar had express permission from the AOPC and PJs Koury and Baratta to establish legal residence in Va. while her sons attended college and still worked here in person three days a week and remotely two days a week. Now that college is over she has returned here. She has followed the law, both here and in Va.
She also cut her court days because she was commuting from Virginia. I feel for her personal tragedy. But you haven't been litigating in front of her.
Jermaine is a joke! EVERYONE talks about his brown-nosing, which as a man, is laughable. I thought better of Judge Dally.
I can concur that 11:33 and 11:44 comments are spot on! Many are afraid to talk due to retribution against them.
Not a surprise with Greene. When he was in charge of the juvenile detention center he messed it up so bad the state had to take it over. Yet someone keeps promoting him...
Appalling behavior on several fronts. The President Judges in charge of this department should have cracked down on this petty, abusive behavior years ago.
I've never heard anything good about Judge Sletvold and I won't be voting to retain her.
I read War and Peace in less time than her resignation letter.
Anyone who uses that many words to resign is most likely a narcissist and mental health sufferer.
I’m 11:21 pm. Therein lies the problem. She was allowed to “live” in VA and also work remotely. That is a bunch of crap. This woman received the royal treatment and it seems when she may have received some opposition, she cried discrimination/toxic environment/harassment, etc. If the almighty Baratta cut this deal, then shame on him. She may me be a great master, but I bet there are others who could do a commendable job while living in Pennsylvania and paying out-of-state tuition. You’re getting one side, Bernie, and as I said before, the other side isn’t at liberty to defend itself.
It's like when Rachel Maddow went from 5 days to 1. Their loss.
I personally did work for Domestic with assignments from T. Hogan ,Esq. how can all this happen now?
Master Joseph? Released,relived?
How about having cases with non - attorneys? Let get civil with working people that have a different mindset than attorneys. I believe we should not let more than 25% Congress or Senators be from attorney pool. How about a farmer as a congressman?
Thank you! Tell your friends and family to do the same. You know what they say about bad apples…
Stupid to announce President in Israel weds. The aircraft is worth more than any man. He has no business there as President . Too much risk. Too much risk of loss under the unknown . 70% chances war will run up. His advisers are fools. Stupid fools ,over the next election. So they say he was in a combat zone . Horse Crap.
P
“ She was allowed to “live” in VA and also work remotely. That is a bunch of crap. This woman received the royal treatment and it seems when she may have received some opposition, she cried discrimination/toxic environment/harassment, etc.”
This woman’s son died during this time and that is why she was granted permission to LEGALLY have an address out of state. It does not appear that this impeded her ability to do the job however it is the toxic culture and individuals at this county that are the cause for her resignation.
What’s wrong with you?
Interesting how Ms. Tresslar believes that three older women are opposed to her because she is an older woman. Prejudiced against themselves, I guess.
There are always two sides and sometimes more to every allegation. The publishing of these allegations in itself is suspect. To leave in such a public way makes one seriously question the validity of the accusations.
Jermaine Greene has every opportunity to defend himself. It is a little trickier for sitting judges, though.
How can we care about the Courts when the shitters are a mess at Louise Moore Park?? Since Council seems to not care about allegations at the Juvenile Justice Center and won’t care about these new allegations enough to actually question Mr Greene, let’s focus on the shitters!!! Clearly this will be something to focus on bc they would rather take on Lamont then address major issues like the harassment of staff employed by the Courts.
"You’re getting one side, Bernie, and as I said before, the other side isn’t at liberty to defend itself."
Totally correct.
This all stinks of the Baratta/Morganelli war against the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County. I knew it was just a matter of time until Morganelli tried to take control of this Court. And we all know that Craig Dally is not strong enough to fight him. Why do you think Morganelli supported him for President Judge? Because he knew that he could take full advantage of him. Face it, Dally, you are just not up to fighting Morganelli.
Baratta hates, and I mean hates, Judges Roscioli and Sletvoid. He never hides his feelings, and openly talks about his dislike, no, hatred is a better word, of them. He just can't stand a woman who is strong and professional. Keep your eyes on this - this is just the beginning of the Baratta/Morganelli take over of the Court. And poor Northampton County will suffer for it.
Hi Judge
"This all stinks of the Baratta/Morganelli war against the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County. I knew it was just a matter of time until Morganelli tried to take control of this Court. And we all know that Craig Dally is not strong enough to fight him."
Baratta appointed Jermaine Greene as court administrator. But your conspiracy theory is that Baratta would actively undermine the very person he appointed. Alrighty then. You add that Judge Dally is too weak-willed to stand up to John, but he already has done so. Morganelli was the custody court judge and was overruled by Dally, and has stepped down as a result. Your conspiracy theories are sheer lunacy.
I'll agree that John will get involved in politics when he should not, but he does not play games when it comes to the administration of justice.
Perhaps the hatred has something to do with the fact that both Sletvold and Roscioli are awful awful judges and share a tendency to play fast and loose with the law.
"He just can't stand a woman who is strong and professional."
Baratta appointed Tresslar, a strong and very professional woman. Go peddle your conspiracy theories an alt-right sites
As a family law attorney for over 20 years, I can attest that the custody office and custody conferences were never better run than the first several years with Master Tresslar. In that time, there were years I went without a single custody trial, because the cases settled. Settlement is better for families. Children aren't forced to testify. Parents don't have to smear the other parent. Since the administrative changes, I've had as many as 4 trials in a non-jury week, which is absurd! The judges are overwhelmed and justice is hard to find when everything is rushed. On top of that, she KNOWS custody law and how to talk with people. The other Masters over the years have ranged from decent to pathetic, but never in the same ballpark as Lisa. With some not knowing even basic custody law, or having "people skills", it is impossible to settle cases. I am sad that the county has lost Lisa Tresslar. Custody work just became worse for family law attorneys, and the families and children of Northampton County who need the court to aid them in their time of conflict and stress will suffer because she is no longer at the helm.
Not a judge. But I also don't judge people without all of the facts.
How can John simply “step down” from as the custody court judge to which he was appointed by the PJ? Can the other judges “step down” from their respective assignments as well? As interesting and entertaining as that would be, I am pretty sure he cannot do what he’s attempting to do.
I incorrectly stated that S Ct Jusice Sotomayer was edited by Tresslar. It was S Ct Justice Elena Kagan.
Thanks.
Bernie
Does Council have the authority to allocate funds from next year’s budget for the purchase of heated seats in the shitters at Louise Moore
Now that winter is upon us, dropping a deuce on cold thrones can cause medical complications and potential litigation on the County
I think the important question is to ask, "Who leaked Lisa Tresslar's resignation letter to Lehigh Valley Ramblings?". Next question, "Why?"
"How can John simply “step down” from as the custody court judge to which he was appointed by the PJ?"
He can and he did. I believe a PJ persuades, but does not command, other judges.
This is just one story that needs to be told about the unprofessional behavior of many who are in positions of power in Northampton County. Residents should demand better leadership from the top down.
"I think the important question is to ask, "Who leaked Lisa Tresslar's resignation letter to Lehigh Valley Ramblings?". Next question, "Why?""
Obviously, the letter was leaked by someone who had it. It was leaked bc the public has a right to know that custody cases are in disarray. Perhaps you'd prefer to wait until a child is killed, but I think these are things the public should know.
LOL!
Why did Judge Dally change his mind? It sounds very unlike him he’s a good man. I think Mr Green is the culprit here, maybe threatened legal action that Dally didn’t want to deal with.
I have dealt with my personal custody/divorce case with Ms. Tressler and both the Judges mentioned here. Tressler is claiming to be a victim but I believe she was pretty much useless (at least in my case). To me her only intention was to delay things so that it doesn’t go in front of Judge for trials. She only worked couple of days and she had may be 4-5 cases and she never came on time. I would say good riddance based on my experience. I had motions in front of 5-6 different judges and Sletvold came across as a totally arrogant and no respect for anyone. I won some motions and lost some in her court but she always came across as an arrogant, above the law type of attitude. Compared to her Morganelli, Khasis, Daily came across as respectful and willing to listen. I had only one motion in front of Paula and she came across as ok but I have heard from others while waiting for cases and interactions that she has a big ego (third party feedback) and treat people like crap. Based on my interactions these 2 judges are probably the worst, at least compared to Morganelli, Khasis, Daley and another one who was from another county hearing cases here. I don’t think we lose much after Lisa resigning but these 2 needs to go as well. I am not a lawyer and my feedback is just based on my experience with them. That whole place is a mess and they see the worst of humanity so I can empathize with them to some extent. Hope all 3 goes and time for new blood. Thanks.
Master Tressler is a great and compassionate woman. Master Joseph is rude and does not understand her position as a custody Master. She makes demands that she cannot actually make. I have dealt with both Masters and I’m sad and disheartened to think that only Master Joseph will be at the wheel. As for Jermaine Greene, he is a terrible leader. He is smug and makes decisions based on his emotions instead of his brain. The custody court is going to be destroyed until Master Joseph, Jermaine Greene, Judge Sletvold, and Judge Rosciolo are removed from their positions.
Amen! Roseann is and ALWAYS was a bully. The only way she makes herself feel better is to cut other people down. It's abhorrent how she treated Court staff, CYF staff, parents, families, etc... The day she was relieved of her job as a custody Master, CYF staff had a party to celebrate! 🎵 Ding dong Roseann is gone 🎵 She's a miserable, lonely person who has no business being a court master EVER AGAIN. NoCo better get their act together before more children suffer under her new regime.
This is ridiculous now, we are all replaceable, whether good or bad, you resigned Lisa, suck it up, the heat got too hot in the kitchen and you got out. You left a job where you could live in VA and work from home two days a week with full time pay and benefits. 95% of the county workforce is not allowed to do that! As for the custody office , it is functioning , it will take some reorganization but the public is still able to file for custody and get a hearing. People quit and get fired everyday in life, you didn’t think about those attorneys whose place you took when they got the boot now did you ! No one is the savior of any court office, it’s not just one person. If the job was that important to you, you would have stuck it out no matter what! You left and that’s it. Move on , the custody office is!
11:03 pm: Morganelli was grandstanding. The hearings probably interfered with tee time.
What a shame. Master Tressler was a fair and honest attorney. Replacing her with a tyrant like Roseanne Joseph is travesty for Northampton county families. Who will stand up for the children caught in the middle of this? There is clearly biased judgment in the decisions being made at Northampton county with ulterior motives and children's lives caught in the middle. I hope this catches the right person's attention before a decision is made to suit someone's personal agenda, and could put a child's safety at risk.
Along with the political imbalance and unjustifiable disgusting display of behaviors that have had critical negative impacts on other good human beings, the ugly truth is also that small minds and hearts retain jealousy against others for numerous reasons…1) Looks, 2) intelligence, 3) confidence 4) integrity) all those wonderful attributes and more, and any other good qualities that anyone else could possibly see that person in a good light. I have been in this town my entire life… Roscioli has been seen many times over as cruelly unjust over numerous cases with no regard for truth or the negative outcome she has deliberately decided, I have also visited the same hair salon where Roscioli wouldn’t allow my hairdresser to touch her hair and was so demeaning towards her professional abilities that she wouldn’t even allow her to wash her hair!!
Now I ask… why wouldn’t you go somewhere else if you feel that way? Instead, she was very comfortable with attempting to degrade, manipulate, and control a good group of people.
People like this are always seen, known for their tremendous shortcomings, and exactly for who they are, and treat others. Sadly, the ugly politics in this town allows it, and allows the wrong people to flourish and hold positions of power that have no right or real abilities to do so.
Northampton County has never been that. It is as biased a court system as there is in PA, perhaps the country. The plaintiff was part of it until they were done with her. Sadly what comes around does go around and that ideology should not exist in the law. It's a travesty. Northampton County destroyed my chance to be a parent to my children.
Yes, they must be voted out.
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