LANCASTER — State Sen. Jeff Woodburn (D-Whitefield) spent Monday afternoon in a locked courtroom as The Berlin Sun argued that records detailing domestic-violence allegations against him should be unsealed.
Judge John F. Boyle closed the hearing to the public, including the press and about a dozen family members and friends supporting Woodburn, 53.
kAmw6 925 A=62565 ?@E 8F:=EJ E@ E96 ?:?6 >:D56>62?@C 492C86D 282:?DE 9:>]k^Am
kAm(@@53FC? 492EE65 H:E9 9:D 2EE@C?6J[ s@??2 qC@H?[ 2?5 DFAA@CE6CD 367@C6 E96 962C:?8[ 3FE 564=:?65 AF3=:4 4@>>6?E]k^Am
kAm“x H:== 36 >2<:?8 2 DE2E6>6?E E@>@CC@H 27E6C E96 6=64E:@?[” (@@53FC? D2:5]k^Am
kAmp 32:=:77 =@4<65 E96 4@FCEC@@> 5@@C :? E96 `DE r:C4F:E s:DEC:4E s:G:D:@?\{2?42DE6C 27E6C E96 A2CE:6D 6?E6C65]k^Am
kAmq@J=6 5:5?UCDBF@jE 6IA=2:? H9J E96 962C:?8 H2D 4=@D65] w6 56?:65 2 =2DE\>:?FE6 >@E:@? 7:=65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^x?s6AE9}w]@C8Qmx?s6AE9}w]@C8k^2m E@ 36 962C5 @? E96 >2EE6C 367@C6 4=@D:?8 E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm“%@52J’D 962C:?8 A6CE2:?D E@ %96 q6C=:? $F? ?6HDA2A6C’D >@E:@? E@ F?D62= 4@FCE 5@4F>6?ED[” q@J=6 HC@E6[ 56?J:?8 E96 >@E:@?] “!FCDF2?E E@ E96 !6E:E:@? @7 z66?6 $6?E:?6= `be }w `a` W`hhaX[ E9:D 962C:?8 :D :? 492>36CD H:E9 @?=J 4@F?D6= 7@C E96 A2CE:6D 2?5 A6E:E:@?6C AC6D6?E]”k^Am
kAmpD 2 C6DF=E @7 9:D 2CC6DE[ (@@53FC? 7246D 2 HC:E6\:? s6>@4C2E:4 492==6?86C :? E@52J’D AC:>2CJ[ z2E9=66? z6==6J] $96 =:G6D :? #2?5@=A9 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5 |2C<[ H9@ CF?D E96 72>:=J 3FD:?6DD (9:E6 |@F?E2:? {F>36C r@]k^Am
kAmz6==6J :D H6==\<?@H? :? E96 5:DEC:4E 3642FD6 @7 E96 H@C< D96 92D 5@?6 @? ?F>6C@FD =@42= 3@2C5D] s2G:5 $E2CC :D CF??:?8 @? E96 #6AF3=:42? E:4<6E]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 962C:?8 |@?52J[ %96 q6C=:? $F?’D >2?28:?8 65:E@C[ q2C32C2 %6EC62F=E[ D2:5 ?@ ?6H :?7@C>2E:@? 42>6 @FE 5FC:?8 E96 3C:67 AC@4665:?8D] q@J=6 6IA64E65 E@ >2<6 9:D CF=:?8 @? 96C >@E:@? E@ F?D62= 3J }@G6>36C[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%6EC62F=E 2C8F65 :? 96C >@E:@? E@ F?D62= E92E 4@FCE C64@C5D 2C6 AC6DF>65 AF3=:4[ 4:E:?8 E96 &] $] r@?DE:EFE:@?[ E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 r@?DE:EFE:@? 2?5 DE2E6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE AC64656?E] xE :D FA E@ E96 A2CEJ D66<:?8 ?@?\5:D4=@DFC6 E@ >2<6 E96 42D6 7@C D64C64J[ %6EC62F=E HC@E6]k^Am
kAm$6?:@C pDD:DE2?E pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= v6@77C6J (]#] (2C5 925 C6DA@?565 E@ E96 q6C=:? $F?’D >@E:@? E@ F?D62= E96 277:52G:E 2?5 2CC6DE H2CC2?E[ 2C8F:?8 E96J D9@F=5 C6>2:? D62=65 E@ AC@E64E E96 :?E68C:EJ @7 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@?[ H9:49 96 D2:5 :D 4@?E:?F:?8]k^Am
kAm(@@53FC? H2D 492C865 pF8] a H:E9 3:E:?8 E96 2==6865 G:4E:>’D 2C> 2?5 92?5[ 9:EE:?8 96C :? E96 DE@>249[ E9C@H:?8 2 4FA @7 H2E6C :? 96C 7246[ E96? E9C@H:?8 E96 6>AEJ 4FA DEC:<:?8 96C :? E96 7246[ <:4<:?8 E96 =@4<65 5@@C @7 96C 9@>6 2?5 EC6DA2DD:?8]k^Am
kAmx? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6 E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=’D @77:46 :DDF65 E96 52J (@@53FC? H2D 2CC6DE65[ E96 DE2E6 :56?E:7:65 E96 H@>2? @?=J 2D (@@53FC?’D “:?E:>2E6 A2CE?6C]”k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^x?s6AE9}w]@C8Qmx?s6AE9}w]@C8k^2m :?56A6?56?E=J :56?E:7:65 96C 2D 9:D 7@C>6C 7:2?466[ t>:=J $E@?6 y24@3D[ 492:C>2? @7 E96 r@@D r@F?EJ s6>@4C2E:4 r@>>:EE66 H9@ :D CF??:?8 7@C r@@D r@F?EJ EC62DFC6C]k^Am
kAm%6EC62F=E 925 2C8F65 E92E E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE :? E96 z66?6 $6?E:?6= 42D6 HC@E6 E92E E96C6 92D E@ 36 D@>6 “@G6CC:5:?8 4@?D:56C2E:@? @C DA64:2= 4@?D:56C2E:@?[ E92E :D[ 2 DF77:4:6?E=J 4@>A6==:?8 :?E6C6DE[ E92E H@F=5 ;FDE:7J AC6G6?E:?8 AF3=:4 2446DD]”k^Am
kAm“x? E9:D :?DE2?46[ E96C6 :D 2? @G6CC:5:?8 :?E6C6DE :? >2<:?8 E96 277:52G:ED AF3=:4] p 42?5:52E6 7@C C6\6=64E:@? E@ @?6 @7 E96 DE2E6’D 9:896DE 6=64E65 A@D:E:@?D 92D 366? 2CC6DE65 @? 4C:>:?2= 492C86D] %96 AF3=:4 D9@F=5 36 2==@H65 E@ D66 E96 2CC6DE H2CC2?E 2?5 277:52G:ED E92E C6DF=E65 :? E96 5676?52?E’D 2CC6DE[” %6EC62F=E HC@E6]k^Am
kAm(2C5’D @3;64E:@? 2C8F65i “#6=62D6 @7 E9:D :?7@C>2E:@? H@F=5 F?5@F3E65=J 4@>AC@>:D6 E96 @?8@:?8 :?G6DE:82E:@?[ 3642FD6 E96 277:52G:E :? A2CE:4F=2C C6G62=D E96 ?2EFC6[ D4@A6 2?5 5:C64E:@? @7 E96 $E2E6’D :?G6DE:82E:@? @7 E9:D 4C:>:?2= 42D6]”k^Am
kAm%96 D62=65 5@4F>6?ED C6G62= 724ED E92E 2C6 <?@H? E@ @?=J 2 76H :?5:G:5F2=D[ 2?5 C6=62D6 AC:@C E@ E96 4@>A=6E:@? @7 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@? H@F=5 AC6D6?E 2 D:EF2E:@? H96C6 A@E6?E:2= H:E?6DD6D 4@F=5 >@5:7J E96:C E6DE:>@?J @C @E96CH:D6 ?682E:G6=J :>A24E E96 :?G6DE:82E:G6 AC@46DD[ (2C5 HC@E6]k^Am
kAm(2C5 2=D@ 2D<65 :7 E96 4@FCE CF=6D 282:?DE 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ D62= E96 C64@C5D E@ <66A E96> D62=65 7@C 7:G6 52JD]k^Am
kAm“%96 $E2E6 C6DA64E7F==J C6BF6DED E92E E96 r@FCE AC@G:56 E96 $E2E6 H:E9 ?@E:46 @7 :ED 564:D:@? 7:G6 52JD AC:@C E@ >2<:?8 E96 5@4F>6?ED AF3=:4=J 2G2:=23=6 D@ E92E E96 $E2E6 >2J 7F=7:== :ED @3=:82E:@?D F?56C E96 G:4E:>’D 3:== @7 C:89ED E@ ?@E:7J E96 G:4E:> @7 E96 r@FCE’D 564:D:@?] $66 #$p a`\|ig\<] %96 $E2E6 2=D@ C6DA64E7F==J C6BF6DED E92E E96 r@FCE C6524E E96 G:4E:>’D A6CD@?2= :56?E:7J:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? 7C@> 2?J 5@4F>6?ED >256 AF3=:4=J 2G2:=23=6[” (2C5 HC@E6]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.