In an unexpected turn of events, a legal dispute regarding a $1.25 million bequest to the Lancaster Public Library was put on hold this week after assault charges were filed against presiding Judge Joseph Rehkamp. A state Supreme Court ruling has rescinded all of Rehkamp’s current judicial assignments—which places the entire Bucher hearing “in limbo” for the time being, according to attorney Robert Hallinger of Appel and Yost, the firm representing the library.
A protection from abuse order was issued by Rehkamp’s wife and will remain in effect until his January 28 hearing. According to the Times Leader, “Rehkamp was charged by state police at Wyoming after his wife claimed he shoved her against a chair and choked her during an argument.” The judge will not be permitted to preside over any new cases until his hearing has concluded.
Art Heinz, spokesperson for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, told NewsLanc that Lancaster County has already requested for a new Senior Judge to hear the Bucher case. “But there has been no assignment made yet,” Heinz noted. As to whether or not the hearing will be essentially re-run, Heinz said, “Lancaster’s President Judge will have to make that decision.”
Before this week’s setback, both parties were slated to turn their briefings and findings of fact into Rehkamp by February 1. Hallinger expected to hear the judge’s ruling by the late winter or early spring. But that timeline has since fallen into uncertainty. “We’re really not sure ultimately how its going to affect the process,” Hallinger noted.
Hallinger said that this is the first time in 30 years that he has encountered such a scenario: “It’s not unusual to have a judge reassigned to your case. And it’s usually not a problem,” he explained, “This is unique and unusual because the trial has already been held, and the decision hasn’t been made yet. A new judge has not heard anything.”
The Bucher family is contesting a 2003 draft of Thomas Bucher’s will, which disinherited all relatives and left the entirety of his estate to the Lancaster Public Library. According to Bucher’s father, former judge Wilson Bucher, the deceased was suffering from an “insane delusion” at the time of the will’s composition.
