> By WILLIAM DOOLITTLE
Monroe Messenger
A petition denying re-instatement to the Pennsylvania Bar for former Monroe County District Attorney Mark Pazuhanich contains many details about his outrageous behavior never before made public.
A lengthy and thorough decision of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court in November, 2006, precedes its denial of re-instatement.
The decision reveals that Pazuhanich is bankrupt and on welfare and disability due to severe depression and bipolar disorder. Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to corruption of minors, and public drunkenness.
He was elected Monroe County Common Pleas Judge in November 2003, and was scheduled to assume the office of judge in January 2004.
The decision reads as follows: On November 29, 2003, Respondent attended a music concert at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
with his 10-year-old daughter. Shortly before arriving at the concert, while driving his car with his daughter present he drank approximately three to
five ounces of vodka, and took Flexoral, a muscle relaxant.
“While at the concert, in the presence of several adult witnesses,
Respondent fondled his daughter, touching intimate parts of her body.”
On July 12, 2004, (he) pleaded no contest to the several charges. For purposes of sentencing, a no contest plea is the same as a guilty plea yet, incredibly, Pazuhanich, who had prosecuted many sex offenders who were sent to
prison, got ten years probation and was placed on “Megan’s List” .
The D-Board cites the case of Tony S. Sangiamo, wh0 was disbarred for inappropriate behavior with a minor and was sentenced to jail for up to 23 months. The girl was a 16-year-old intern, not a ten-year-old, and D-Board noted “the record was clear that she initiated the touching although that did not justify it.”
The disciplinary board’s opinion revealed in public for the first time that Pazuhanich had “problem with alcohol abuse.” He sought and
received treatment in 1993, overcame those problems and was free of problems resulting from alcohol abuse for approximately seven years.
The D-Board report reveals Pazuhanich receives psychological counseling once a month and doctors have provided documentation that he is unable to work at this time due to severe depression and bipolar disorder.
At the time of the report, Pazuhanich was taking “Lexipro, an anti-depressant; Lamictal, a mood stabilizer; and Seroquel, which also stabilizes his thought process.”
The report continues, “His finances are in disarray, and he is not certain he can maintain his home. At the time of the hearing he was receiving public assistance from Pennsylvania and had applied for Social Security disability payments.”
Also in 2004, Pazuhanich filed for bankruptcy and his debts were discharged on March 21, 2005. The board said Pazuhanich believes no molestation occurred and his touching was “an accident.”
January 2, 2008 at 1:11 am
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