Yesterday, I told you that a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by former Northampton County Custody Master Lisa Tresslar had been put on hold by District Court Judge John Gallagher. I saw that as a sign that the parties were working on a settlement of Tresslar's claim of first amendment retaliation. I was wrong. Judge Gallagher apparently stayed the matter because he had heard enough. Yesterday, he granted a motion of summary judgment in favor of President Judge Craig Dally and Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and against Tresslar. Her claim has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it's over for her.
Tresslar served as NorCo's first ever full-time Custody Master between 2014 and 2023. She had been Judge Michael Koury's Clerk and was lured into the role by then President Judge Steve Baratta. During her time as Custody Master, Tresslar became deeply concerned about proposed changes in custody guidelines. She believed they would force families to agree to settle custody disputes without vital evidence being heard by the courts that could endanger children. She voiced these concerns to President Judge Dally. She spoke in opposition to these changes at a meeting of the NorCo Bar association family law committee, although she claims she did that in her capacity as a citizen and not as Custody Master. She also spoke to investigators who were reviewing claims of judicial misconduct filed against two jurists.
Notwithstanding Tresslar's opposition to these changes, new custody guidelines were eventually imposed. In addition, Tresslar's role was reduced. She lost her supervisory power, and she was placed under a part-time custody master. Her workload was changed, and she resigned.
Without even reaching the question whether she suffered retaliatory behavior, Judge Gallagher concluded that her lawsuit must fail because her speech would only be protected if it was in her capacity as a private citizen, and not as a custody master. Moreover, even assuming that she could establish that her complaints about revised custody guidelines were made in her capacity as a private citizen, she never established that anyone on Northampton County's bench knew of them.
So ends a case with many twists and turns and the discovery that Tresslar may have played favorites with at least one attorney, Stan Margle. He was once her own attorney in her own custody battle, and discovery revealed several inappropriate text messages from Tresslar in which she appears to advise him on strategy and demeans another attorney opposing him.
You can read Judge Gallagher's opinion below.
Summary Judgment Against Tresslar in Federal Case by BernieOHare
1 comment:
What do you mean when you say she was "lured" into the position by then Judge Stephen Baratta.
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