Judgment calls

District justice applies life experience, humor to work in Centre County

He wanted to be an engineer, but a semester of failed calculus classes quickly closed that door for Carmine Prestia.

Wandering around Fayette Campus, wondering what to do next with his life, the college student's eye glanced at a flier about a major in law enforcement and corrections. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Decades later, Prestia holds an office in District Court 49-1-01, 224 S. Fraser St., where he employs his education in law enforcement as State College's judge.

Prestia's office is reminiscent of a dorm room, but cleaner. Posters of "The Three Stooges," an autographed photo of Judge Wapner and certificates of achievement augment simple white walls, while two computers and neat piles of forms awaiting his signature cover the desk.

The Stooges have been a part of his life even longer than law enforcement.

As a child, Prestia spent a lot of time with his grandmother, who didn't speak English very well, he said. Yet the two found a common link in the humor of the Stooges.

"She would laugh because the comedy was so visual, and I would laugh because of both the visual and (spoken) humor," he said. "I think the less you take yourself seriously, the better."

Prestia does, however, take his career seriously, as reflected in his path to the position of district justice.

Upon graduating from the University with a bachelor's degree in law enforcement, Prestia joined the State College Police Department in June 1970.

The Uniontown native settled down in State College and started a family with his wife Elaine, who is employed by the University in the psychology department. The couple raised two sons, Christopher, 25, and Andrew, 20.

In the police department, Prestia said he began as an officer before ascending to the role of corporal in 1972, sergeant in 1975, and lieutenant in 1985. His duties included heading the records and data management system, he said.

"From the very beginning, he was community oriented," Elaine Prestia said. "He really was closely linked to the police, fire and ambulance (services). Police-fire- ambulance was his middle name."

Nearly 25 years later, in May 1995, Prestia took an early retirement in pursuit of the State College district justice position.

Because the police force had been a way of life for so many years, the Prestia family was not sure how smooth the transition would be, Elaine Prestia said.

"But he had always told the boys that when you saw an opportunity you should take it because you might not get the opportunity again. So we really did it together," she added.

Prestia said he believed what he taught and so he ran for the position.

It was a perfect fit, according to those who work with him.

"I would describe Carmine as innovative, creative and terribly organized," said Barbara Gallo, assistant court administrator at the Centre County Courthouse. "He's just constantly looking for ways to improve his office." Gallo said when Prestia became district justice in November 1995, it was a new position.

Previously, State College had been under the jurisdiction of another Centre County district justice. However, when a census determined State College had a large enough caseload to warrant its own district justice, the position was created, Gallo explained.

Now, two years since Prestia stepped into the position, the caseload is even larger, and the job more demanding than ever expected, Gallo said.

"I can't say enough about Carmine as a district justice. He has a tremendous amount of work with a very limited staff," Gallo said. "But even with his extremely high caseload and all of the work before him, he still takes the time to explain things."

As district justice, Prestia's position takes him to both his State College office and the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.

Out of District Court 49-1-01, Prestia handles a variety of legal situations including summary offenses, arraignments and emergency protection from abuse orders.

At the Centre County Courthouse, Prestia handles preliminary hearings once every five weeks.

"I really like this job. The work here is hard, but I don't mind it being hard work. It keeps me out of trouble," Prestia said.

He gives his staff credit for the quality of the work done at district court.

"We are very busy here. They are hard workers. They are very committed to getting the job done and done well," Prestia said. "I'm one of these people who believes your staff makes you."

But as with every job, there are a few drawbacks.

"Occasionally I have to tell someone they are guilty and have to pay a fine. Nobody likes to be told they are guilty and have to pay a $300 fine," Prestia said.

Inevitably, Prestia said someone is unhappy with the outcome of most decisions he has to make.

To balance that frustration, Prestia said he enjoys the perks of his position.

Prestia said he has had the good fortune to preside over the marriages of some of his friend's children, something he enjoys very much.

"I've done a lot of weddings for people I know," he said. "They have been fun because they are positive events."

Prestia said he tries never to lose sight of the most important aspect of his job: making decisions in cases.

"I always try to explain myself," Prestia said. "I think people need to understand the process more than just guilty or not guilty. All parties should know why I make the decisions I make."

Much of Prestia's caseload involves "behavior problems which affect the quality of life," he said.

"In my subjective opinion, 80 to 90 percent (of my caseload) has some alcohol component in it," Prestia said.

Prestia said this caseload includes public drunkenness, public urination, disorderly conduct and loud parties. Parking and traffic violations also account for a great deal of his work, he said.

"My activity tends to smooth out over time," Prestia said. "But if you look at the police department activity, it tracks the school year very well."

On occasion, Prestia has dealt with much more serious crimes than the run-of-the-mill traffic violations and party activity, he said.

"Jillian Robbins was arraigned in my court. That took a lot of work," Prestia said. "I had to plan for that because you can't allow it to become a circus. This woman was being charged with serious crimes and deserved a fair shake."

Elaine Prestia also remembers the arraignment of Jillian Robbins, suspect of the 1996 HUB lawn shooting, because of how difficult it was for her husband.

"He felt that it was a very sad time, not only for the parents and for the people who were shot, but also for the young lady (Robbins)," Elaine Prestia said. "He did not want to let it get crazy. I don't really know how he felt, because when there is confidentiality involved, he sticks to it."

Prestia's colleagues are also quick to point Prestia out as a capable judge.

Ron Horner, district justice of the Penn's Valley area and Harris Township, said he considers his colleague a friend.

"I've known him to be sincere, honest and professional," Horner said. "I consider him to be a person who does a good job at what he does."

Prestia also carries his professionalism into the community.

With a high-stress position such as district justice, one would think Prestia's day would end with the slam of a gavel. But for Prestia, the end of a day in court, is only the beginning.

Prestia said he is the second of three generations of volunteer firefighters and presently serves as president of the Alpha Fire Co., through which he chairs meetings and appoints committees, he said. His sons also serve as firefighters in the company.

Walt Wise, fire administrator of Alpha Fire Co., said he believes Prestia is a tremendous asset to the company.

Wise said Prestia was instrumental in helping the fire company expand its facilities.

"He chaired the long-range plans committee, which was in charge of development," Wise said. "He even put together a slide show using a computer program to show how important (expanding the firehouse) was to the company and to the community."

Wise said Prestia recently helped plan and execute in-house dinners for the firemen and their families.

"He's a person who spends a lot of time here," Wise said.

When not fighting fires or settling cases, Prestia teaches an evening administrative justice course at the University.

"One of the things I seem to hear from the students is that they are happy to have someone who is a practitioner of what they are learning and is frank about it," Prestia said.

Prestia utilizes that talent by speaking to various community organizations and school groups.

"It's fun dealing with young people. That's been a lot of fun," he said. "If I get asked to do that, invariably I put it into my schedule. I make it fit."

He said he urges young people interested in a career in law enforcement to be ready to work hard, but to remember when they pass down decisions, they affect people's lives.

". . . Remember that the people you are dealing with want to be treated like you want to be treated," he said. "The best police officers and the best district justices are the ones who treat people reasonably."