Clearfield County judges, prothonotary continue sparring

The Clearfield County judges are getting more specific in their issues with the county prothonotary.

Last week, judges Fred Ammerman and Paul Cherry took Brian Spencer, the prothonotary and clerk of court, to task in an openly released letter that claimed poor management was leading to increased spending for the county and more jail time than people were set to serve.

Spencer responded, calling the judges’ opposition political.

On Monday, the judges shot back with another joint letter saying, “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

“The problems in the clerk’s office are being discussed now because they are happening now, not because it is an election year. The court has attempted since February to work behind the scenes with Mr. Spencer to try to solve these issues, just as we would with any county office holder, regardless of political party. However, as previously noted, Mr. Spencer has refused to work with the court and court administration, instead inexplicably blaming us for causing the problems,” the judges wrote.

Ammerman is president judge, as his father was before him. Cherry was Clearfield’s district attorney before being elected to the bench. They claim 36 years of judicial experience between them.

“We know how to operate an effective and official court system. We are not in any way involved in politics, which has no place in the courts. The judges do not care what the political persuasion is of any elected official. All we want are elected officials who will work with us,” they wrote, saying he “is not a team player and he thinks he knows everything.”

They claim Spencer fired a 28-year employee who worked under three separate prothonotaries in February, and that is when the disorganization backlogs started.

Spencer disagreed, again calling the statements politically motivated. In a statement, he called Ammerman’s airing of personnel issues “unprofessional and reckless.”

“As much as the judge may want to be involved in the operation of every facet of the day to day operations of the courthouse, it is simply not his function,” Spencer said.

He said he is willing to work with Ammerman but “not once has the judge been willing to have such a meeting.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 11:55 PM with the headline "Clearfield County judges, prothonotary continue sparring."