Easton City Council member and state house candidate Taiba Sultana was charged over the summer with assaulting her adult at the family residence. Last week, she was admitted into a special program for first offenders called Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD). Under this program, charges will be dismissed and possibly expunged if the participant complies with all conditions. Her admission into this program is in no way unusual. But it was disheartening to hear DA Steve Baratta imply that the sole reason Sultana was prosecuted was because of her fractious relationship with practically everyone in city government. For her part, Sultana has claimed, for the 7,654th time, that she is a victim of black and brown prejudice, religious intolerance and misogyny. This could explain why Easton Police Chief Carl Scalzo will be making a presentation to Easton City Council at their Wednesday evening meeting.
Easton PD is one of 12 accredited police departments in Northampton County. Yet Northampton County's top prosecutor has suggested that it allowed politics to play a role in a charging decision. Since 1790, Pennsylvania's Constitution has placed reputation in the same class as other basic rights like life, liberty and property.
31 comments:
Scalzo is an upstanding and honorable guy, as was his dad before him. Baratta's claims are slanderous, as evidenced by his agreeing to ARD. Carl should sue. Put me on the jury. This year's Sons of Italy Columbus Day dinner is going to require a referee. I suppose one doesn't need the Sons when he has Daddy Raybucks paying the bills.
Wasn’t the child a minor a child at the time of the assault? Regardless, if this wannabe politician really wanted to succeed on her merit, rather than her grudges, she would own up to her deed and put it behind her.
Hell Yeah, Chief! Go defend yourself from these baseless attacks.
Baby boy Baratta is just looking to get back at those that didn’t support him. You think it was a political hit job, B-boy? Then drop the charges. This is chatter from someone who is all chatter.
Remember when Baratta attacked Houck for having so few people in positions? How’s Baratta’s employment? Rumor has it numbers are way down.
It appears the patrol officers were “by the book”. Why won’t she agree to release the body cam footage? That tells you all you need to know. As far as Baratta goes, the more I see the less I like him. Scalzo going to set it straight, he’s a stand up guy unlike Barratta.
I am confused. So, Scherzo is making a presentation about Taiba’s arrest at the council meeting?
1:07 -> There was no assault. It was a private, family matter. More smears.
1:12 pm: I have heard the same. Why are all the veteran prosecutors leaving? Obviously, BaRATta is now the problem. Anyone want to guess how long until Zito decides to retire?
Way to be, Carl. You're widely respected and have dedicated your adult life to making Easton better. Baratta showed up five minutes ago and has a lot of nerve - and a shit ton of skeletons in his closet. Carl has more honor is his pinky than Baratta could ever dream of acquiring in a lifetime. We have a solid guy vs a complete fraud and asshole. My money is on the honest guy. Got that, Ray Ray? Get it. Good people prevail over bad people. This is widely known.
Barrata , regardless of his background, overstepped his boundary by his calling out of political scheming on the mayor, Scalzo, and Houck. If I’m not mistaken, Barrata is now the one politicizing this situation and naming names, this will not end well for Barrata.
Bernie: are you “guessing” that this is about Taiba? Or, did you get the heads up from Panto? Just curious. You seem pretty certain that this is what is going to happen.
How about this…before these dumbasses make fools of themselves by relying on an incorrect description from a half ass reporter from LehighValleynews.com, try ordering the transcripts of the hearing and you can read it for yourself. I’m sure that you will read something much different than then lehighvalleynews.com article.
Bernie: I wish you would actually be a journalist and do your research and not rely on a poorly written article with inaccuracies as your “source.”
Because houck sent them all running. Houck ruined that office. Is he back in bucks county now? I hear he sold his house.
Thank you again Taiba, for your 3 cents
"Bernie: I wish you would actually be a journalist and do your research and not rely on a poorly written article with inaccuracies as your “source.”
I agree that Chief Scalzo would want a transcript before addressing Council. I believe he ordered one. He's a careful cop. I'll agree this reporter might have made an error in his report. But he would have to have made an awful lot of them. Baratta is actually quoted at some points. He implies that Easton police and the Mayor are crooked and were playing politics instead of doing their jobs. He notes that the victim recanted, but should know that is a very common occurrence for assaults within a family. It is why so many women get killed. He also incorrectly stated that Houck had failed to act on the ARD request and slams him. I would have to believe that the reporter involved made three major errors. I purposely chose not to be there bc it is so routine. If the LVNews reporter got it wrong, why didn't Baratta issue a statement clarifying what he said? Why is there no retraction in LVNews? Why won't Baratta deny this publicly? He can do so tomorrow night of he wishes.
"I am confused. So, Scherzo is making a presentation about Taiba’s arrest at the council meeting?"
The agenda stated only that Chief Scalzo will be making a presentation.
"There was no assault. It was a private, family matter. More smears."
If this is so, then you'll welcome the vindication of the bodycam footage, which I hope is played.
If Houck sent them running, why are they still running from that office? It is bare bones in the DA’s office. The “office manager” is a joke. The morale is as low as low goes.
I don't think the police chief should be speaking on these matters and entering the political discussion, if those are the intentions. If find it troubling that when malfeasance or troubling behavior occurs or is alleged related to others (in general terms), many of these cases are considered personnel matters resolved with collective bargaining representatives and resolution are concealed from the light of day. No docket is filed. No charges are brought, and the person can maintain or pursue a career elsewhere. Have these same events affect a non-collective bargaining person, let the fodder fly.
5:28 PM: You’re very right. Baratta created his own mess beginning when he fired people by letter a few weeks before he started. He did this in political retribution for a lawful and professional investigation and without having met or spoken with the people he summarily terminated.
Then he continued early on informing prosecutors he was only concerned with victims who had physical injuries. Morale is low due to his words and actions. For career civil servants, ADAs know they may be terminated on a whim in his world. He’s filling his staff with a few top notch people, but mostly people up top that their prior employers no longer wanted. And then paid this gang of largely senior men with pay that he wouldn’t extend to ADAs with a history of longstanding service to our county.
For a Morganelli plant, he’s no Morganelli. No trials. Angry victims who weren’t informed before their cases were dumped outright or for pennies on the dollar.
He created the mess he’s in. And it’s the opposite of what he promised voters. This is what you get when you hire a politician rather than a career prosecutor. Incompetence in securing justice for victims of crime.
The da is a scum bag, the council woman is a scum bag. They were made for and deserve each other. Just two more stains on NORCO.
Bernie
I’m not sure. Apparently last nights committee meeting was about the victim advocate and PD. Scalzo is probably doing the full report for the public tonight but n that
@ 3:50AM. THE Chiefs officers got thrown under the bus publicly without any basis in fact. The Chief is going to back his people when they are publicly called out but did nothing wrong. Thats called leadership. Again, let’s see the body cam.
@1021, I suppose that is fair. As long as the emphasis is on defending police action.
Sorry 8:04 - the current morale and mood can no longer be placed at the feet of Houck. Time for Baratta to stop deflecting and get to it.
What are you talking about? It’s been 2.5 months loser.
So, he didn’t order a transcript and he didn’t seem to mention the da. Actually, he said that the da proceeded with the case as it should have. So, what’s the issue?
They left because they sucked and shouldn’t have been there.
Well, the da didn’t call anyone out. Read the transcripts.
Hahah. Pepper had to go. He was scamming you.
I’m confused. I was at the meeting and thought there was going to be an all out fight between baratta and Panto and nothing happened. The chief agreed with the da. What’s the nonsense on this blog about?
Yes, you are confused. Although the lion's share of his comments were directed at Sultana, Police Chief Scalzo also referred to Baratta's remarks about "political twisting" or "political avenues could raise their head." He obtained the transcript. He also made clear that a recantation by a victim in a domestic dispute is common and usually leads to more violence down the road. Baratta, a former judge, knows thus. Chief Scalzo said he was uncertain what that meant, "but I assure you, as today's presentation will show, that there was no political influence in the actions of the department in handling this call." He said that Baratta later added that if he believed there was political influence in this case, he would have dismissed the charges.
Baratta, who attended the meeting, left without comment.
Per usual, the only one doing "political twisting" is you. Not sure what your beef with baratta is, but it is readily apparent. I'm assuming this stems from the fact Houck had nothing better to do (like running his office), but to pick up the phone for you or pull an armchair out to give you the daily courthouse gossip. Now your teet is gone, but you can't let it go. Explain to me how if, as you opined, Houck entered that crazy woman into ARD after Attorney Angelo submitted an application in August, that her hearing wasn't scheduled until almost 5 months later? Typically it takes a month to a month and a half for criminal cases to move from the magisterial level to common Pleas. So if Terry did submit approval paperwork that would have been accomplished well before he left office. So that's an outright lie. You check up on any of that before posting your story? No. You get the transcripts from this ARD hearing? No. But you continue the twisting. God's going to come for those eyes unless you start behaving Bernhard.
Also, I know it has been awhile since ypu were allowed to practice law...but attorneys usually wear suits on work days.
Would love to know what started the beef between you two. Care to comment?
The truth is. Taiba and her attorney wasted time waiting for Houck to leave office. They thought Baratta would drop the charges. They were wrong!!! Better luck next time she’s arrested
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