Wednesday, June 22, 2011
ENOLA, Pa. (AP) — A Huntingdon County district justice apologized and paid a fine after pleading guilty to harassment today after his arrest at a suburban Harrisburg hotel three months ago.
A court official said District Judge Douglas Gummo paid the $438 penalty for his behavior at a judicial conference on April 1.
Prosecutors dropped charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
Police said Gummo was intoxicated and dressed in a sheet when he tried to enter the hotel room of a female judge three times in 40 minutes. Cumberland County prosecutor John Dailey said Gummo, 42, apologized to the court and the victim and said he has taken steps to deal with the behavioral problem.
“The victim was there, she was fully informed,” Dailey said. “She spoke, she wished him well and hoped that he solves his alcohol issue. She was very gracious and very forgiving, very magnanimous. It was a very courageous thing to say.”
A call left for Gummo’s lawyer, George Matangos, was not immediately returned, nor was a message left with the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts seeking information about his status as a judge.