West Easton resident Tricia Mezzacappa is appealing her harassment conviction handed down by Judge Yetter and upheld by Judge Dally.
She has every right to do so, but why should all of us pay for it if we shouldn’t have to?
That’s what we could be doing if her petition to proceed “In Forma Pauperis” she submitted on February 26th is granted without confirming the information.
In forma pauperis is a Latin legal term meaning “in the character or manner of a pauper” (for those of you who aren’t fluent in Latin, or understand that the legal system is intentionally made difficult and intimidating).
Mezzacappa is telling the court she is so poor that she can’t afford the filing fees and other costs associated with her appeal.
I call, “Bullshit.”
Normally, I wouldn’t argue with someone in financial straits seeking relief, but Mezzacappa’s petition to the court doesn’t match up with her financial disclosure report she submitted for the position of NorCo GOP Vice Chair in 2013.
It’s because of the discrepancies that I must question why I and the rest of us should foot the bill for her, in order for her to do some grandstanding in another appellate court.
There seems to be some mismatched information between the forms and I’d like the court to question her, as to which of her submitted statements is more accurate.
On her financial disclosure statement used for the election, she listed the following as direct or indirect sources of income:
- RN – Mezzacappa Massage
- Sands Casino
- Estate of Joseph Mezzacappa
She listed herself as the owner of Mezzacappa Massage located at her home address and has an active website for the business. She states on that site she charges $1 per minute for massages. She accepts appointments in her home, but if she travels to the clients home she bills a minimum of 1 hour.
If she is listing the estate of her father as income, can we assume that she was left an inheritance, or possibly a trust fund? Since he passed away a decade ago, one can speculate that listing his estate as income in 2013 would make the income likely a trust fund.
The problem with these two sources of income is that they were not disclosed to the Court when she filed for fees to be waived because she claims to be a “pauper.”
To the Court, she listed only an income from a business, “MCMG,” which is likely Mid Coast Medical Group. She claims to only make $200-$500 per month working “insurance defense.”
Did she fail to list a brief employment at Kirkland Village and did not list her income from that facility as required in the petition to proceed in forma pauperis?
In a blog she wrote last year she stated, “When a responsible and caring RN tries to help the non-medicare paying patient, she is bullied, reprimanded and fired. Get your family member OUT of Kirkland Village. THEY SUCK.”
She further claimed to have only $250 cash on hand and $1,310 in a checking account. She has no savings account, according to her filing.
Listed to the Court are numerous debts including student loans and those in collections.
Somehow though, with so little income and money at her disposal, she paid off her home mortgage in February of this year and her 2008 vehicle that cost $17,500 is also paid for.
And let’s not forget that new gun she boasts about and all that expensive ammunition she uses when she pays the Heritage Guild to practice. If she has money for those luxuries she has money to pay her own way.
Somebody doesn’t sound like a pauper and the Court needs to get all the facts before they grant her the relief she seeks.
If she is truly a pauper then no problem. If not, she can foot the bill.
UPDATE: 4/01/14
This morning I awoke to find a message on my cell phone left by Mezzacappa. I’m told that if I do not remove this article that questions her submission for In Forma Pauperis she will sue me for libel. A comment by her on her blog also states she has provided a copy of this article to the State Police.
I stand by my decision to raise the issue of financial discrepancies mentioned above, between the two documents cited.
Should you as a taxpayer wish to contact the Court and ask that her requested status be reviewed more closely, you can contact them by email or phone:
email: Court Administration
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 559-6700
UPDATE: 4/08/14
Read about the outcome HERE
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
