HARRISBURG, Pa. – A Lehigh County judge kept a “Book of Grudges” and a sexually explicit calendar in her office, and behaved inappropriately towards a county court employee and a defendant, according to formal charges filed Wednesday.
Pennsylvania’s Judicial Conduct Board filed a Board Complaint in the Court of judicial Discipline against Magisterial District Judge Amy Zanelli.
The complaint alleges that Zanelli violated the rules governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial Judges.
Zanelli has been serving as a judge since January 2022.
The complaint says Zanelli possessed what she called a “Book of Grudges” in her office, which had the appearance of an ancient leatherbound tome with papyrus pages.
An inscription in the book said “Upon this say, we shall begin to record within our ‘Book of Grudges,’” the complaint allleges.
In the notes, Zanelli disparaged a local attorney and made notes that were critical of another person who appeared before her in landlord-tenant matters, according to the Judicial Conduct Board complaint.
Zanelli encouraged her staff to make additions to the book’s notes about people doing business in Zanelli’s court with whom they had issues, but they did not do so, the complaint says.
The complaint says Zanelli kept the book in a general work area in the office accessible to all staff for them to add notations to it to it, if they wished.
According to the complaint, Zanelli removed the Book of Grudges from her office at some point in early 2024.
Zanelli also possessed a desk calendar that she brought into her office following her election that, among other things, contained explicit sexual messages on varying topics, the conduct board said.
The complaint alleges Zanelli displayed this sexually explicit calendar in a general work area in the office.
The Judicial Conduct Board also alleges Zanelli behaved improperly towards a defendant in a case.
The defendant, who was unrepresented, murmured under his breath while the victim/witness testified at a trial.
In a loud voice, MDJ Zanelli directed the defendant to leave the courtroom and to wait in the hallway, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Zanelli then carried the chair in which the defendant was sitting into the hallway and told him to sit there until the victim stopped testifying.
When the defendant asked Zanelli how he was supposed to hear the proceedings, Zanelli told the defendant that he would be able to hear from the hallway, the complaint says.
The complaint says Zanelli then shut the door to the courtroom. After the victim finished testifying, Zanelli allowed the defendant to go back into the courtroom, according to the complaint.
The Judicial Conduct Board said Zanelli did not allow the defendant the opportunity to cross-examine the victim.
Zanelli only allowed the defendant to assert that the case should be dismissed because he and the victim were dating again, the board said.
Zanelli found the defendant guilty, the board said.
In April 2022, MDJ Zanelli exhibited poor demeanor to a county court employee, according to the board’s complaint.
Zanelli ignored the employee when the worker tried to whisper a correction to her regarding a statement she made in court about a defendant’s sentence, the board said.
The board says Zanelli used profanity with the court employee when the worker tried to get her attention a second time.
In another instance, after a discussion about a Mental Illness Substance Abuse designation as a bail condition for a defendant, the employee asked her if she wanted the MISA designation added to the defendant’s bail conditions, the board said.
In response, Zanelli slammed her hands on the bench and yelled, “‘Did I stutter?,’ according to the complaint.
The board says Zanelli habitually used profanity when talking with her court staff and before other court personnel.
According to the complaint, Zanelli was late for court proceedings and was absent from court on days that would otherwise constitute normal judicial business hours.
Also, Zanelli conducted preliminary hearings and arraignments from her home by Zoom when she was absent from her office due to surgery, without permission from the President Judge of Lehigh County, according to the Judicial Conduct Board complaint.
If the Court determines any of the charges have been proven, it will schedule a hearing to determine what sanction, if any, should be imposed, according to a news release from the Judicial Conduct Board.
The board says possible sanctions include censure, suspension, fine, or removal from office.
69 News reached out to Zanelli’s office and her attorney for comment. An employee at her court office said they were not aware of the charges.