Earlier this month, Lehigh Valley Live reported that Northampton County's Court Administrator Jermaine Greene has been the subject of a temporary Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) based on allegations by his wife that he soaked his wife's clothing in gasoline, broke her rib and threatened to kill her.
It is important to note that a temporary PFA is based on allegations alone. Rightly or wrongly, I generally avoid writing about temporary PFAs unless they are accompanied by contemporaneous criminal charges or involve a police officer. I've taken a lot of heat for refusing to write about this story. Greene has many enemies at the courthouse. Moreover, there are those who would rather see me writing about Greene's PFA than a very negative Grand Jury report about Gracedale.
I am writing about the PFA now because criminal charges have been filed. Greene been charged by Middle Smithfield Tp police with criminal mischief as a summary offense based on his wife's allegation that he soaked her clothing in gasoline on August 22. No charges have been filed concerning any assault or death threat.
The courts have declined comment.
So you'll only write about a PFA if it's a police officer?? Not if it's the administrator of an entire county court system. Seems a bit biased that everyone benefits from being presumed innocent except for a police officer.
ReplyDeleteTemporary PFAs are based on allegations alone, but they are granted because a judge feels like there’s enough evidence to have a final hearing, giving the accused a chance to defend themselves.
ReplyDeleteHe allegedly violated the Temporary PFA that you scoff at. A Criminal Contempt hearing for that violation is scheduled for sometime in October. I can’t believe Domestic Violence against one of Northampton County’s most respected Court employees, is not being taken more seriously !
ReplyDeletegreens ‘many’ enemies at the courthouse didnt beat his wife
ReplyDeleteBut a grand jury report is only allegations under oath, just like the basis for a temporary PFA. The only criminal charge in regard to Gracedale was pending well prior to the publication of the report, and certainly not the focus of the numerous blog posts.
ReplyDeleteLove how you wrote this on an unexpected Saturday! If this was one of the trifecta you would've been all over it, but hey, a bottom feeder with a few hundred readers you got to do what you can do.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about this on a Saturday bc that's when I saw the charges, but i will repost on Monday as well.
DeleteWell, well… if we’re going to talk about crime, maybe we should finally have the uncomfortable conversation about men and violence.
DeleteMen are responsible for a disproportionately large share of violent crime, homicide, drug offenses, theft, and incarceration. Yet somehow, whenever that reality gets brought up, the immediate response is, “Not all men.”
Obviously. Nobody said all men.
But “not all men” is not a meaningful response to a discussion about a documented pattern. If the overwhelming majority of people committing certain violent crimes are men, then maybe—just maybe—it’s worth asking some very uncomfortable questions about how we raise boys, what we teach them about aggression, entitlement, control, and accountability, and why so many men continue to excuse other men's behavior.
And let's be especially clear about domestic violence: pouring gasoline on your wife's clothes, beating her, terrorizing her, or abusing someone you claim to love isn't masculinity. It's violence.
Being a man isn't about dominating someone weaker than you. It isn't about intimidation. It isn't about having everyone afraid of you.
If your idea of being a man requires hurting a woman to feel powerful, you haven't demonstrated masculinity—you've demonstrated that you have a serious problem.
So instead of getting defensive about the phrase “men,” maybe some men could look in the mirror and ask a much more useful question:
What are we doing to raise men who know that strength means self-control, accountability, and protecting people—not hurting them?
Let's not go too far down that rabbit hole on who disproportionately commits most violence in the United States. Your sensibilities might be offended.
DeleteEveryone at the Courthouse with any responsibility has many enemies. Jermaine Greene is not alone in that regard. He’s had a Temporary PFA entered against him. He’s been accused of violating the PFA. He’s had criminal charges filed against him. The question is, why does he still have a job ?
ReplyDeleteBecause everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
DeleteMaybe you should look into the nepotism surrounding Mr. Greene, and the leniencies that have been overlooked which are related to said persons.
ReplyDeleteIf it’s Middle Smithfield Twp in Monroe County, the municipality is covered by PSP-Stroudsburg.
ReplyDeleteWhy is everyone giving you shit for not writing about this ? You’ve been clear for years that this isn’t a “news” source. It’s not your job, it’s the Judges job. The Execs job. Most importantly it’s County Council’s job to have zero tolerance for domestic violence.
ReplyDeleteYoung black Americans commit a disproportionately high number of murders and robberies but that's not bc they are black. They do so bc they are young, stupid and in a bad environment to begin with.
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