Bethel Park police chief at odds with district justice over cash bail
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police say they make the arrests but a local district justice continues to set defendants free.
District Justice Mik Pappas does not believe in setting cash bail and as a result, Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O'Connor said he has once again put the public at risk.
Three weeks ago, Bethel Park police arrested Sean Howard asleep in a car behind a shopping plaza. Howard is a convicted criminal from Arizona and the car was stolen in Ohio.
With no ties to the area, police argued at his arraignment that Howard was a flight risk. Despite that, he did not have to put up any money to ensure he'd appear at his preliminary hearing. Pappas let him go on an unsecured bond.
"The chances of him staying around for his preliminary hearing are slim to none," O'Connor said.
As no surprise to O'Connor, Howard did not show up for his preliminary hearing on Thursday in front of Bethel Park District Justice Ronald Arnoni. Now, police have issued a warrant for Howard's arrest and must try to find him again.
"He's put a person that has the potential for violence right out into the public pool, right into the middle of downtown Pittsburgh," O'Connor said. "Now, we're going to spend time to see if we can bring him back into custody."
This isn't the first time Pappas has run afoul of the Bethel Park police. Four years ago, officers arrested Chinese national Yan Mo, a masseur at South Hills Village who was charged with the indecent sexual assault of a customer. Despite the seriousness of the charges, Pappas declined to set bail and Mo was never seen again.
"He gathered his belongings, got on plane and went back to China," O'Connor said.
Pappas did not reply to requests for comment on Thursday. But in prior interviews with KDKA-TV, he has described himself as a progressive seeking to reform the criminal justice system, eliminating things like cash bail, which he believes unfairly burdens poor people.
Police say they often have trouble getting him to sign arrest warrants, and he's currently being investigated by the Office of Allegheny Courts after failing to sign a warrant for the arrest of murder suspect Calvin Crew, who is accused of killing Christi Spicuzza. Detectives who were about to arrest Crew had to wait for hours for the next judge to sign the warrant.
"Everybody in public life, you have your personal beliefs, but you have to follow the law," O'Connor said.
KDKA-TV has learned that the Allegheny County Courts and Allegheny County District Attorney's Office have been examining Pappas' decisions and may refer complaints to the state Judicial Inquiry Review Board.