A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based lawyer says he was removed from his residence, wrongly arrested in connection to a civil case and escorted to a courtroom where his freedom was threatened by a judge. Now, he’s pursuing legal action.
The lawsuit filed last month alleges that Attorney Walter Bernard’s civil rights were violated by Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Philip Ignelzi, claiming that the official acted out of his jurisdiction.
On May 3, Bernard was getting ready for work when county deputies appeared at his home — which he shares with his brother Wynton Bernard — and arrested him in front of his neighbors, according to a legal complaint. Per the documents, the officers allegedly did not show a warrant, telling Bernard that “the judge wanted to see you.”
Related:
The suit accuses law enforcement of threatening Bernard before he opened his front door before being taken into custody.
Bernard’s filings claim that the retired NFL player was transported to jail and ultimately escorted to the courthouse and brought before Judge Ignelzi while in shackles. In the courtroom, the judge criticized Bernard for not opening his door fast enough for law enforcement and blamed him “for almost getting himself hurt.”
The judge, according to the suit, also gave Bernard an ultimatum in exchange for his freedom, giving him only 15 minutes to make a decision.
“Attorney Bernard needed to settle the case that was currently on appeal before the Appellate Court in an amount that the opposing counsel has pre-determined with no ability to negotiate without his client being present or [he] was required to disclose confidential information from both his and his client Wynton Bernard’s private information,” the lawsuit stated, referring to documents including tax returns, and bank account statements.
The judge’s alleged demands come from a separate pending civil lawsuit filed against Bernard and his brother,…
Read the full article here