The mistake was discovered Wednesday and reported by commissioners’ Chairman Josh Maxwell to the media that day, as well as by the commissioners and their staff to the county’s two main political party leaders.
One of the county’s so-called “row offices,” the prothonotary is in charge of overseeing the filings for civil and family court cases. It has been vacant since October, when Debbie Bookman, who had held the office since 2020, resigned after it was discovered that she used a county credit card for personal expenses.
It had been thought that the office would appear on the 2027 ballot, four years after Bookman was re-elected in 2023. Indeed, it should have been certified for inclusion this year.
“The board learned yesterday that the election should not happen at the next prothonotary election, but instead this year,” said Maxwell in an email. “I informed both parties at the same time later that afternoon, and they were given what they needed to submit their candidates for the General Election ballot.
“Our (Voter Services) staff is tremendous, and they’ve dealt with constant pressure and attacks over the last five years,” he added. “I’m proud of their work. Mistakes happen, and when they do, we fix them as quickly as possible.”
The glitch caused some consternation from the head of the Republican Committee of Chester County, Dr. Raffi Terzian, who termed it a “glaring error.”
“During a conference call yesterday with county officials, including Commissioner Maxwell, we were informed that the office of Prothonotary should have been included on the ballot for this election cycle,” he said Thursday. “The county acknowledged that a significant error was made by county officials and the county solicitor who provided erroneous guidance regarding the disposition of the office of prothonotary.
“As a result, the position will now appear on the ballot in the upcoming Municipal Election in November, not on the Primary ballot. They advised that candidates will be nominated according to the nomination process established by each political party.
“They did not provide any information as to how this glaring error occurred or when they first learned about it or why they waited until yesterday to inform party representatives,” Terzian said.
“When we make a mistake, we admit it,” said Maxwell in response. “An error was made. The buck stops with the board, and as chairman, I take responsibility.”
FROM:
THE DAILY LOCAL NEWS
Error in Chester County keeps prothonotary off primary ballot
April 25, 2025 at 10:19 AM EDT
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WEST CHESTER — The Chester County chief financial watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that her office had some months ago referred the matter involving potential misuse of a county credit card by the former county prothonotary to the District Attorney’s Office.
Controller Margaret Reif said in an email that she had sent word of her office’s investigation to the D.A. in late August after she had uncovered potential wrongdoing by Debbie Bookman, who was in her second term as the elected official responsible for civil court case documents and filings.
“As required by county code, our office is obligated to report any potential instances of fraud to the District Attorney’s office,” Reif wrote. “In compliance with this requirement, we reported the personal use of county credit cards to the District Attorney’s office on August 28th.
“I am unable to comment on the amount under investigation, but all unauthorized expenditures were fully repaid,” she added. She has declined to comment on the specifics of what the investigation by her office had found in an examination of the office’s finances.
It is doubtful, however, that the D.A.’s Office will handle the case. When Bookman announced her resignation from the post in October, District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said that he would ask that any investigation or prosecution be transferred to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office because he considered Bookman a personal friend.
At the time, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office said it could not confirm any communication about the matter.
MORE AT:
Daily Local News
Controller referred prothonotary case to Chester County D.A. in August, statement says
Michael P. Rellahan November 26, 2024 at 10:37 AM EST
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From my blog post on May 13, 2019
“During the interview, Peoples also indicated, as he had during his testimony at his trial, that he had been angry with Suber for associating with drug dealers in the city whom he had told Peoples had “burned him” before he went to prison in the late 1990s. It was a subject he discussed in an infamous “Stop Snitching” DVD, which was filmed by a Coatesville friend, Harvey Legree, at King’s Chinese Buffet in Caln in 2004.”
FROM:
Coatesville murderer Duron Peoples speaks from prison of past, coming life
By Michael P. Rellaha
mrellahan@21st-centurymedia.com
Oct 24, 2014
Harvey Legree did Duron Peoples don’t snitch DVD. He also did Deborah Bookman’s Coatesville City Council campaign video:
Ever watch “The Wire”?
Harvey (Bitsy) Legree did what Omar did.
Stop Snitcing" Producer Claims New Path
The Coatesville Side Bar
A CLOSER LOOK INTO CHESTER COUNTY'S ONLY CITY.
TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2007
POSTED BY J.MILLER AT 11:22 AM
Harvey "Bitsy" Legree did make this video:
Coatesville - The Fallen pt1
It's up to Democratic voters to decide if they want Debbie as Chester County Prothonotary on November's ballot.
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Posted by James Pitcherella at 3:02 PM
MORE AT:
Monday, May 13, 2019
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