Hearing to be held for judge accused of playing favorites

MONACA, Pa. (AP) -- The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline will hold a hearing on a former Beaver County district judge accused of being biased toward friends, family members and co-workers.
The Judicial Conduct Board in February filed three counts of misconduct against Center Township District Judge Joseph Zupsic.
Zupsic, 59, had been on sick leave since August 2004 and didn't run for re-election. He was replaced last month by Joseph L. Schaefer, who won the Republican and Democratic primaries in May.
Zupsic was accused of dismissing charges against a jail guard accused of assaulting an inmate because the guard's father was a business associate of Zupsic's. The judge is also accused of dismissing a drunken-driving charge against a minor who was a family friend.
He is also accused of trying to get a trooper to drop charges against a friend or relative of Zupsic's boss at a computer company. The incidents in question allegedly took place from 1999 to 2002.
Zupsic didn't have a listed telephone number and couldn't immediately be reached to comment.
Though he is already out of office, he could lose his pension if the allegations are upheld. The Court of Judicial Discipline meets to hear his case Sept. 13.