CLEARFIELD — Conflicts with a case involving a shooting incident last year in Osceola Mills have uncovered problems with the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office.

On Tuesday, a hearing was held regarding a motion filed by District Attorney Ryan Sayers asking for President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to be removed from the case against Ida L. Reams, 52, the former mayor of Osceola Mills.

Sayers stated during the hearing that he thought Ammerman was “forcing” the case to trial.

Reams is charged with two counts each of simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person as well as one count of DUI in relation to an incident when she allegedly shot at two men playing Pokemon Go in an Osceola Mills parking lot on March 14, 2022.

In January, Reams was before Ammerman to plead guilty to misdemeanor terroristic threats and two counts of recklessly endangering another person in exchange for a time-served plea of seven days to one year in the county jail. This was rejected.

Reams was before him again in March, to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts each of terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person with a sentence of four months’ home detention. This was also rejected, and the case was scheduled for jury selection.

In court Tuesday, Ammerman stated that in 29 years he has never seen a motion from the DA’s office asking for his recusal.

Sayers explained that multiple people have asked him if the judge was “out to get me” or Reams because of the plea rejections.

He went on to say that Ammerman had mentioned that Reams, who has some health problems, would have to be sentenced to state prison.

“I think you have pre-determined her fate,” he said, adding that Reams had no previous record.

“We offered a plea (the last one rejected) to the top four charges with the maximum sentence,” Sayers said.

When Ammerman asked why Sayers brought up what people in the community are saying, Sayers responded that this illustrates the appearance of impropriety in this case.

Ammerman started reading the allegations, saying this is a “very serious case” with shots being fired, but two counts of aggravated assault were dropped at the preliminary hearing.

According to the affidavit, the victims described Reams as “clearly intoxicated.” She allegedly fired a gun four or five times and threatened them.

Ammerman pointed out that the victims were not at the preliminary hearing and Sayers had not subpoenaed them to possibly testify.

He went on to say that over the past few years, both he and Judge Paul Cherry have noticed that the cases coming into court were already beyond their Rule 600 (speedy trial rule) date before the plea was done. Then if the plea is rejected, it goes back into the system.

“By the time we get to trial, two years have gone by,” he said.

Then once they finally get to trial, the commonwealth says it can’t find a witness or the victim.

“Cases are going stale,” Ammerman stated.

This has led to both judges signing a court order in February stating that after a plea is rejected, the case will be scheduled for the next criminal jury selection and no case will be removed from the jury selection list without approval of the assigned judge.

Ammerman commented that the order was not done because of this specific case and that it applies to all cases following a plea rejection.

After further discussion in Ammerman’s chambers, Sayers withdrew his motion to remove Ammerman from the Reams case.

A second motion to continue the trial scheduled for May 16 and 17 was granted.

The reason for the delay is a scheduling conflict with one of the involved troopers and a lab technician on these trial dates.

Maines said the defense had no objection to the continuance. The case will be scheduled for jury selection in June with a trial date to be set later.