MIDDLEBURG -- An attorney who was the subject of a recent Newswatch 16 investigation, pleaded guilty to forging the signature of a Northumberland County judge.
But Stephen Ellwood of Orwigsburg may not spend a day in jail.
Although he pleaded not guilty at a court appearance in April, Stephen Elwood's arrest paperwork showed, he admitted to a grand jury he forged a judge's signature in one of his client's cases.
Once he got in court Monday, Ellwood changed his plea to guilty.
Paperwork shows he admits forging the signature of Northumberland County Judge Charles Saylor in 2013 on a bogus document.
In exchange for the guilty plea, the state attorney general's office will recommend probation and no jail time for Ellwood.
"He has no prior record. Standard range only calls for probation to one month in prison. I did call Judge Saylor at the time that the cc was filed and he's not seeking any jail time in this," said Deputy Attorney General Michele Kluk.
Ellwood's former client, Bob Bechtel of Locust Gap, said Ellwood deserves jail time.
Bechtel says the forgery led him to believe that two years ago, Ellwood had secured a quarter-million dollar out-of- court settlement with his former landlord. Bechtel sued after hurting his shoulder while doing work on the home he rented.
Because the statute of limitations has now expired, Bechtel cannot sue his former landlord again. He can only sue Ellwood.
But unlike many attorneys, Ellwood is not insured for legal malpractice and may not be able to pay any judgments against him.
Because Ellwood's case involves a judge in Northumberland County, it's being handled in Snyder County court. He's scheduled to be sentenced in November and he is currently still licensed to practice law.
