The Court of Judicial Discipline has denied Montgomery County Magisterial District Judge William Maruszczak's request to be placed in a little-used judicial diversion program in lieu of more serious discipline for charges that he confronted and threatened supporters of his political rivals and failed to recuse from a friend's cases.

Maruszczak's denial followed closely on the heels of Washington County Magisterial District Judge Mark A. Wilson's admission to what is known as the Interim Judicial Diversionary Program on March 16. Wilson, who had been accused of showing bias in a private criminal case and hiking bail in several cases, became only the second judge ever admitted to the program, which was established in 2015. The first was Erie County Court of Common Pleas Judge Stephanie Domitrovich, who was accused by the state Judicial Conduct Board of engaging in ex parte communications, as well as “unpleasant treatment of those appearing before her,” members of her staff and county employees.

Maruszczak, meanwhile, is accused of angrily confronting—and, on two occasions, threatening—several acquaintances who backed his political opponent in the run-up to the 2015 election.

The six-count complaint, filed in February, also alleged Maruszczak failed to recuse himself from cases involving a friend, Jalil Bami, who once had the judge as a guest at his beach condo.

In its April 18 order denying Maruszczak's request to be placed in the diversion program, the CJD said the state constitution requires the JCB to consent to admission, which it did not.

In its April 9 memorandum in support of its response to Maruszczak's request for admission, the JCB said Maruszczak's alleged conduct “differs in many important respects” from the alleged conduct in Wilson's and Domitrovich's cases.

Wilson and Domitrovich, the JCB said, were both accused of conduct that “arose from their on-bench judicial improvidence and ignorance of the law.”

Maruszczak's alleged conduct, on the other hand, “occurred off-bench; bore no relationship whatsoever to any flaw in his judicial skills; and was pointedly deliberate.”

“To explain, taking the board's allegations as true for purposes of review of respondent's motion, the most serious allegations of respondent's misconduct, with the exception of the recusal issue involving Jalil Bami, arise from his obvious desire to exact a personal reckoning from three individuals who he felt 'betrayed' him in his 2015 re-election campaign,” the JCB said.

“Therefore,” the JCB continued, “despite respondent's claim that his case 'seems the perfect case' for the program, it is not. Respondent's conduct was, in fact, indicative of personal corruption, as the desire for revenge is the quintessential corrupt motive. Moreover, and more importantly, it is the board's view respondent's conduct would likely result in the imposition of serious discipline such as suspension or removal from office following adjudication.”

According to the JCB's complaint, Maruszczak was up for re-election in 2015 and was challenged for the seat in the primary and general elections by local attorney Ian Kingsley.

The complaint alleged that, at some point around the May primary, Maruszczak confronted Marcene Rogovin at a polling place in West Conshohocken because he had been told she was working on behalf of Kingsley there. Rogovin is the widow of Charles Rogovin, one of Maruszczak's former professors at Temple University Law School. (Maruszczak has a law degree but is not licensed to practice law, according to the complaint.)

“This is my livelihood!” Maruszczak allegedly shouted at Marcene Rogovin, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, the day after the general election, which Maruszczak won, the judge, on learning that Marcene Rogovin had continued to work for Kingsley on Election Day, called Charles Rogovin again and left a voicemail, in which he allegedly said, “Marcy worked against me yesterday, and I still won the election. Next week, after I return from vacation, I will hold a press conference and charge that Marcy covered up an accident when [former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge] Joe Waters visited your house earlier this year. She started this and I am going to finish it!”

In its complaint, the JCB said Marcene Rogovin was not involved in any such cover-up and Maruszczak did not actually intend to hold a press conference to that effect.

Robert DeFelice, a former member of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, also allegedly incurred Maruszczak's ire during the 2015 race. Maruszczak had allegedly made several requests for DeFelice's political support but was spurned each time, according to the complaint. As the primary election approached, Maruszczak was informed that DeFelice was supporting Kingsley. The judge confronted DeFelice at another local polling station on the day of the primary, calling him “Judas Iscariot” and a “liar” and accusing him of stealing his yard signs, the complaint said.

Upper Merion Township Supervisor Carole Kenney was the third acquaintance allegedly confronted by Maruszczak for supporting Kingsley, according to the complaint.

In October 2015, just before the general election, Maruszczak saw Kenney canvassing neighborhoods on behalf of Kingsley and told her he was surprised and disappointed, according to the complaint. Kenney told Maruszczak that her support of Kingsley was not meant as a personal affront but the judge allegedly replied that if something bad happened to Kenney in the future, she would know why, the complaint said. When Kenney asked Maruszczak if he was threatening her, he denied it, but, as Kenney was walking away, he allegedly told her there would be “payback” for her actions, the complaint said.

The complaint also charged Maruszczak with failing to recuse from several matters involving Bami, the proprietor of Milanj Diamonds in the King of Prussia Mall. According to the complaint, Maruszczak has attended at least two events at Bami's home and was a guest at Bami's beach condominium at the Jersey Shore. Bami also contributed $400 to Maruszczak's re-election campaign.

Despite this relationship, Maruszczak presided over a case in which Bami sued his former fiancee. The judge also failed to recuse himself from 26 false-alarm nontraffic citation cases against Milanj Diamonds until after receiving notice of the JCB's investigation, the complaint alleged.

In his March 19 answer to the JCB complaint, Maruszczak took issue with the JCB's characterization of several events and flatly denied ”yelling or insulting or threatening people.”

Maruszczak denied yelling at Marcene Rogovin, but admitted “he did raise his voice at one point because he was so hurt and surprised that a person he considered a friend was working against his re-election.”

“The respondent is a very loyal person,” Maruszczak's answer, filed by West Chester attorney Sam Stretton, said. “He is very outgoing and friendly. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He honestly felt very hurt and betrayed that Mrs. Rogovin would be working against him.”

As for Maruszczak's alleged threat to hold a press conference alleging Rogovin's involvement in a cover-up, Maruszczak said in his reply that he “only relayed what a police officer told him.”

Maruszczak also denied confronting Kenney, saying instead that he spoke with her when she approached his house as she was canvassing the neighborhood.

“He told her he was surprised she was campaigning against him and that he thought they had a good relationship,” the answer said, adding that Maruszczak “emphatically denies that he ever told Mrs. Kenney that something bad could happen to her in the future.”

Maruszczak also denied ever making any mention of “payback” to Kenney. Instead, Maruszczak's answer attempted to paint the allegations against him as retribution for his successful 2015 re-election bid despite the accusers' efforts to undermine that bid.

“It appears that many of these complaints, some of which were made by active Democrats, are really sour grapes on their part,” Maruszczak's answer said.

As for Bami's lawsuit against his former fiancee, Maruszczak said in his answer that he had intended to recuse from the matter if it went to trial, but first presided over a settlement conference because he knew both parties. The matter ultimately settled.

And with regard to the false-alarm cases, Maruszczak's answer said it was questionable whether he was even required to recuse from those cases, though he ultimately did so after he received a letter of inquiry from the JCB.

“Judges hear cases all the time where lawyers make political contributions, although it is understood $250.00 is the limit in terms of rebuttable presumptions where there would be no disqualifications,” the answer said. “Often times judges will hear cases where there is a $400.00 contribution.”

Stretton, reached Friday, said he's “pretty upset” about the CJD's decision to bar Maruszczak from the diversion program, noting that the ruling sets up a system in which the JCB appears to have unchecked veto power.

Stretton said there is very little in the way of established rules or guidelines governing admission to the program.

“I just think it's too arbitrary for something this serious,” Stretton said.

Robert Graci, the JCB's chief counsel, did not return a call seeking comment.