Category Archives: crime and pubishment

asked and answered: former prothonotary debbie bookman was charged by pa ag

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Saw this from Facebook in May- Public Post

The other day, I asked the following:

Dumb question but election season means whatever happened to Debbie Bookman the former prothonotary? She resigned under a cloud, and I will note unfriended me on Facebook sometime when that happened which kind of made me laugh, but then we’ve heard nothing haven’t we? Are the Democrats burying this? Or is there some kind of investigation going on that they can’t talk about but maybe they want to say that there is an active or not active case?

Now maybe when that cloud broke, she simply exited Facebook, that would also make sense. Don’t know. All I do know is I voted for that woman so when the news broke in October, 2024 I was gob smacked and as a voter felt in a sense, betrayed.

Don’t know where that person went. So this was who I thought she was:

Here she is in a Melton Center video from 4 years ago:

Then this from a year ago with something sone by the Chester County Community Foundation:

And something State Senator Carolyn Comitta put out after visiting CYWA in Coatesville:

Then came the headline no one expected, let alone people who voted for her in October, 2024:

Chester County official under investigation by financial watchdog resigns, citing personal reasons

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — Debbie Bookman, who made history in 2019 by becoming the first Democrat to be elected prothonotary in Chester County and then by winning a second term in 2023, has abruptly resigned from her position, citing personal reasons.

“It has been one of my greatest honors to serve the public as your prothonotary,” Bookman said in a statement sent to the MediaNews Group on Thursday evening. “However, this year has been extremely difficult for me on a personal level and I honestly can no longer give my best to this position.”….Her decision, however, comes in the wake of an investigation by the county Controller’s Office — the county’s elected financial watchdog —  into financial irregularities in the Prothonotary’s Office. Bookman alluded to those matters in her statement. She acknowledged that she had made purchases of a personal nature using the credit card issued to the office for official business.

Then came this article:

Controller referred prothonotary case to Chester County D.A. in August, statement says

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — The Chester County chief financial watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that her office had some months ago referred the matter involving potential misuse of a county credit card by the former county prothonotary to the District Attorney’s Office.

Controller Margaret Reif said in an email that she had sent word of her office’s investigation to the D.A. in late August after she had uncovered potential wrongdoing by Debbie Bookman, who was in her second term as the elected official responsible for civil court case documents and filings.

“As required by county code, our office is obligated to report any potential instances of fraud to the District Attorney’s office,” Reif wrote. “In compliance with this requirement, we reported the personal use of county credit cards to the District Attorney’s office on August 28th.

Then this appeared in the spring of this year:

Chester County officials mistakenly leave prothonotary off primary ballot
Error in Chester County keeps prothonotary off primary ballot

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — An error by officials inside Chester County government has resulted in the now vacant office of county prothonotary being left off the ballot in the May primary election, leaving the county’s political parties without candidates who would go before the voters until November.

The mistake was discovered Wednesday and reported by commissioners’ Chairman Josh Maxwell to the media that day, as well as by the commissioners and their staff to the county’s two main political party leaders.

One of the county’s so-called “row offices,” the prothonotary is in charge of overseeing the filings for civil and family court cases. It has been vacant since October, when Debbie Bookman, who had held the office since 2020, resigned after it was discovered that she used a county credit card for personal expenses.

Of course this whole thing was described in the media as a “good faith mistake” by the Chester County CEO, and at the time Charlotte Valyo, head of Chester County Democrats (still and oh grandma please, but I digress) I do not recall commenting at all.

But until this morning all that has been heard about Debbie Bookman is motivational speaking stuff. Yes there is a website:

https://leadingfromtheinside.life/about-me

https://leadingfromtheinside.life/gallery

https://leadingfromtheinside.life

Yeah ok, I bet she is good at that. No digs, truly.

But hey now some watchdog lovelies from Coatesville sent me news through someone I know this morning that answers (for now) the question of what happened with the whole exiting the prothonotary’s office of it all last October and wowza:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Deborah Bookman Aug 2025Download

Well damn, BOOM there it is. The PA Attorney General has charged her. Her formal arraignment is September 18, 2025 unless it moves. I do not see an attorney listed yet as of this morning.

She seems to be facing 1 charge:

M2 04/21/2023 1 1 18 § 4113 §§ A Misapply Entrusted/Govt/Fin Inst Prop

Original Offense Date: 04/21/2023 K 1013764-3

What really and truly blows my mind is this started in 2023.

Bet that anonymous poster who posted in some random Facebook groups will be posting again soon… and yeah before the incorrect rumor mill starts, not my posts don’t know who posted, don’t care.

But now there is an update.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/CpDocketSheet?docketNumber=CP-15-CR-0002608-2025&dnh=%2BQdfoAz%2BYmDnv1%2BnCRWdTA%3D%3D

(Hey traditional media? You are very welcome! And it’s now your story to flesh out. This was just a dusty curtain raiser.)

End screenshot is from Rep. Pielli. Wonder what he will be thinking now? Not being snarky, as I just can’t believe all of this myself, yet here we are, right? And you have to wonder if Chester County Democrats will be holding onto county row? Time will tell.

can we talk about puppies being sold illegally on the streets of west chester borough?

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These photos were like yesterday or last night in front of Jaco Taco and Juice Bar in West Chester Borough. 8 West Gay Street, right ? So does this business have a security cameras? If so, they need to turn the footage over to police.

At first given all the online chatter people were rather frustrated with West Chester Borough Police.

Whoever this person is needs to have his ass thrown in jail for putting puppies in a cage in freaking August and trying to sell them on the streets of West Chester Borough.

This is horrible, it is actually illegal, and it’s animal cruelty. I’m going show you all the screenshots I have collected and a little video. if you see this person selling dogs on the street do not approach. Just call the police and record them. Clear photos would be helpful here.

I will note, based upon what I have seen online, it seems like West Chester Borough was a little slow to act here.

Police need to catch this guy because otherwise we all know what will probably happen, right? Dead puppies somewhere right?

Whoever this is, they’re just as bad as a puppy mill, and who knows maybe they’re from a puppy mill?

And just out of curiosity when this fighting was going on in the middle of the street, where were West Chester Police?

This is ridiculous that this is even happening.

File under law and disorder and illegal puppy sales in West Chester Borough.

the song remains the same in tredyffrin

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No it’s not Sullivan Hall on Villanova’s campus. It’s Mt. Pleasant in Tredyffrin. The neighbors as in the full time year round residents are in hell. Party season for off campus housing is back.

And the song remains the same as in the same year after year. Tonight there was a call regarding Mount Pleasant. The residents don’t call unless it’s really bad and what happened? As always not much.

Mount Pleasant deserves better. Tredyffrin Township needs to get it together. There are plenty of student rentals in the region where it’s not like animal house every single year.

But in Tredyffrin its animal house every single year. One would think with all the overpriced infill development going in around Mount Pleasant that Tredyfrrin would be a little more on top of the student houses.

Come on Tredyffrin, how many years? Why isn’t this township embarrassed?

u.s. marshalls make an arrest in villanova garage

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Boom there it is! It came out on Patch and I just found the alert from Villanova (screenshot above.)

Back story: Radnor PD had posted of law enforcement activity on Ithan Avenue and people were wondering….

Here is verbiage of alert:

Current Alert

Overview of August 27 Incident: Earlier today, U.S. Marshals arrested an unaffiliated individual in the I-1 parking garage on Ithan Avenue. The person, a suspect in an off-campus incident in New Jersey, was taken into custody by federal agents without incident. Law enforcement has since left the scene, and an all-clear was issued. There is no threat to the Villanova University community. This matter is unrelated to last week’s incidents on campus.

Aug 27, 2025 at 1:44 ALL CLEAR: I1 Garage Open. Police have left the area.

Aug 27, 2025 at 1:34 p.m. Police are still on scene. Continue to avoid area. No threat to campus safety. This is unrelated to last week’s incidents

Aug 27, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Unaffiliated person – suspect in off-campus incident in New Jersey, taken into custody safely at I-1 Garage by federal agents.

Aug 27, 2025 at 1:18 p.m. Police activity in I-1 garage Ithan Ave 1st level. NO IMMEDIATE THREAT.

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/radnor/no-threat-public-despite-police-presence-villanova-auhtorities

Book ’em Danno. However, it does not say it has to do with the swatting incident, but one can hope….

And alas, it was not related. It was a murder suspect from New Jersey.

https://nbcphiladelphia.app.link/TWZsw4xrbWb

Marshals, police arrest murder suspect at Villanova

jury duty encore…

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I took this photo in 2022 when I had jury duty the last time

Surprise! I am a chosen one…again….and within the last 3 years. Yup I a jury duty encore

When I was called last time, I actually wrote about it. I don’t mind jury duty, but if the rule of thumb is every 3 years, and when I was called in the year last time….I should be called in 2026. And given all the things I cover as a blogger, I am always amazed they want me because they seem to jettison regular reporters. I also do suffer from lymphedema which literally makes sitting for hours difficult at times. But it is something we all should do, it’s just for such a large county, I am amazed they don’t have other people to choose from.

The jurors room in the Chester County Courthouse is really pretty nice. I don’t like the arm desks we have to write on because I am left handed. The courthouse people are all very nice. Last time I was excused after voir dire. The Judge knew who I was. He is retired now, and was a great judge I thought.

I have to tell you that overall this was kind of an interesting experience. I enjoyed the process for the most part. It’s a good way to learn how things happen inside a courthouse. I do recommend bringing a book.

I am curious if other Chester County residents feel as if they are called more so than others? People always want to tell you all of the excuses to get out of jury duty, but it really isn’t that I want to get out of it, I just feel as if I was called too soon again.

If I am indeed to serve, I wonder what kind of a case it will be this time? Last time it was a civil case.

I will let you know how my West Chester Court House experience is if I end up being called for sure the night before.

second fake call for active shooter at villanova reported

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I mean seriously WTF? Is this someone with a beef against Villanova University or Radnor Police Department? Or do they just want to terrify parents of students and the community at large?

It came in at 11:30 AM for Austin Hall and people were at mass in the chapel according to NBC10!

Whomever is crying wolf needs to be stopped.

https://nbcphiladelphia.app.link/BMCmRyY85Vb

active shooter at villanova university on move in day.

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Now they’re saying it’s a hoax? If so, whoever perpetrated it should go to jail.

This is crazy. It’s move-in day at Villanova University. I don’t know but I would be hard-pressed not to pack up my freshman and take them back home. People are saying oh they’re shocked that someone got on campus.

For real?

You can get on campus easily enough, especially on move-in day maybe not with a car but all you have to do is walk on campus. It’s not a gated community.

Of course you see the unfortunate tweet as my friend said from Villanova about where are people living this year.

All I can say is, I hope everything ends OK and the students are safe. Who would think that you would find that at Villanova University in the heart of the Main Line ?

The media is saying, there are no reported victims at this time, and that came from Radnor police.

How long before this crap stops? 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15022917/Villanova-university-philadelphia-pennsylvania-shooter-campus.html

things we should be talking about: daycare nightmares like in oaks in july

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Photo of Catalina Baldwin from Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office July 2025

Press_20Release_Teacher_20Arrested_20For_20Aggravated_20Assault_20of_20Two_20Infants_5B46_5D.pdfDownload

Yeah so this blew up the news recently. A 37 year old woman named Catalina Baldwin from Phoenixville who was an employee of Oaks Early Learning Center in Oaks on Egypt Road.

The Oaks Early Learning Center used to have social media, it seems to have disappeared? Same owners as some place called Hopwood School and Camp (https://montco.today/2021/06/hopwood-school-and-camp-lansdale-sold-lower-merion-school-district/) Yes I verified it on the state website.

Here is some of what I saw on Compass, a PA website which has gotten rather cartoonish:

This is horrible. Parents want answers. Human beings in general want answers. Who hurt babies?

In early July, baby was taken to hospital from the daycare in what media reports tell us were dire circumstances. As this was unfolding, we all learned that something else happened to another baby in May.

WHPO DOES THIS?

https://www.fox29.com/news/montgomery-county-child-care-teacher-charged-assaulting-infants

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/lowerprovidence/new-details-emerge-montco-teacher-who-brutally-abused-2-babies-da

Montco teacher charged with aggravated assault of two babies at childcare facility

This woman who I am not sure is in or out of jail at this point was a teacher in the infant room. So parents who have to put kids in daycare, who are they entrusting their kids to here? Also concerning? If there was some other sort of incident in MAY why was she still there in JULY? Is she still employed?

Also interesting? She has a Bill Cosby lawyer, doesn’t she? But then again he is one of the best.

docket 2Download

I had shared story links to this when it first happened and then I randomly saw a comment today that made me wonder:

It was not the she is still employed comment as that has popped up here and there already, it was about the parents of kids there. Are they really and truly being shall we say discouraged from discussing this? So the owners don’t want kerfuffles in their Main Line existence? OK totally get this is their business in an uncertain time, but umm who are they hiring and wouldn’t they WANT their families to be able to talk about this an also to allay the fears of parents with kids there?

Truly I hope that is a misperception, misunderstanding, don’t you?

Also, this woman who was charged seemingly left a review of the daycare on Google? What kind of hot mess situation is that and why haven’t the owners contacted Google to have it removed?

So reading this you have to ask is this Catalina Baldwin who was charged a MOM? If so, where is her child right now?

I do not and never will understand people who hurt children. I was discussing this topic with a friend today. And we are old enough that we come from the dark ages of being a kid where stuff just wasn’t discussed or acted on a lot of the time.

Why aren’t we doing better today?

I just can’t with this and would be interested to see real reports of this daycare. But I don’t know any of us will get that because this is a criminal investigation now. So I guess that means no one will hear from daycare owners either, right?

Home

This is just horrible all the way around.

“cold” feds in lincoln court in east whiteland township chester county this morning.

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Earlier this morning in Lincoln Court Shopping Center Chester County. Apparently that was the second time today?

Yes. ICE. I did NOT take the photos. Others who work there in the shopping center did.

Yes police know they are around. They are here on things based on active warrants. That hypothetically means it could be a more traditional criminal type of warrant or a warrant for expired visas, or someone who was previously deported and came back illegally.

Since this surfaced today, I will admit that it is a very odd feeling when it’s a place you specifically know. There are small businesses here, the driver’s license center, a Giant supermarket, state liquor store, oh and a Mexican restaurant that is a community favorite.

I get that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers AKA ICE have a job to do but seeing it in our home communities? It strikes a sad, odd, uncomfortable, horrible chord.

This combined with Washington DC seeming to morph into a police state the past few days? What is our country becoming ironically as we prepare for the Semiquincentennial?

Purportedly, 2026 marks a time to celebrate the birth of American independence and democracy, but who and what are we now?

I just don’t know. It makes me sad.

seeking spare keys trespassing guy?

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I am sharing this because I just got a call from a local farmer in Willistown who called the police about this guy who showed up while he was doing something and his farm hands had to deal with this guy.

Unfortunately, by the time the farmer knew this guy had been there, he was gone, but a police report was filed.

Apparently this guy showed up on some kind of a scooter or hoverboard thing to them. But the reality is he came uninvited down a driveway that is really long. A place that can’t be any more clear about having security and posted private property don’t trespass.

And when the guy was discovered, he was nosing around the cows on the farm.

He didn’t seem to get the concept of private property, which couldn’t be posted any clearer at the beginning of the really long driveway. This guy has also shown up at other people’s s properties in Willistown and several other municipalities in Delaware and Chester Counties.

And he got caught on ring camera in a video posted yesterday to NextDoor. I’m about to show where he’s not only knocked on the door. He seemed to be checking for spare keys.

Now this is a common enough occurrence in the summer months, these random people who just show up. Either they’re selling something or you just find them wandering around your property. We had it in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods with the random driveway resealing guy who ignores no trespassing signs and every year acts like you didn’t tell him the year before to get off your property.

But this guy seems to be off from the way people describe him and also seems to be looking for spare keys. So that somebody who’s trying to figure out when people are on and off of their own properties and in and out of their houses. opportunistic? Definitely and for what reason? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find out.

People are calling the police about this individual, which is not wrong, what he’s doing is wrong.