Judge blocks election of constable who cuffed car dealer

An ousted deputy constable from Lower Merion who ignored a court order to stay off the ballot and won election last week as a constable has additional obstacles to overcome before he can assume office in January.

Yesterday, Montgomery County Court Judge Paul W. Tressler issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the election board from certifying Steven D. Sokoloff, 58, of Ardmore, as the winner.

In addition, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office amended an indirect criminal contempt petition filed in March, adding more than 200 counts of contempt - one for every day Sokoloff has violated the court order.

"If litigants can get away with brazenly ignoring our courts, then our criminal justice system will fall apart," District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. "If Mr. Sokoloff didn't like the order, the appropriate mechanism is to file an appeal."

Sokoloff's attorney, Jonathan F. Altman, said he had received a copy of the amended petition, and although he had not read it, he said his position was unchanged.

"The court order is not binding . . . because of legal deficiencies in the process," he said. "At this point, the electorate has spoken."

Sokoloff and his wife, Julie, both Democrats, defeated two Republicans for the two constable positions in Lower Merion Township, according to unofficial results.

In December 2007, Tressler signed an order in which Sokoloff agreed to give up working as a deputy constable under his wife, and agreed not to run for constable in Lower Merion. Sokoloff has since said that prosecutors pressured him into the agreement, which stemmed from a Sept. 12, 2007, dispute.

On that day, both sides agree, Sokoloff handcuffed Dennis Crilly, sales manager of a Norristown car dealership, in front of customers for failure to pay a $150 parking ticket that had been issued to a customer.

They also agree that Crilly instructed another worker to call Bruce L. Castor Jr., then the district attorney. A representative of Castor's called a county detective, who ordered Sokoloff to release Crilly, and Sokoloff eventually did.

Sokoloff contends that Crilly received preferential treatment from Castor because Crilly's brother-in-law had contributed to Castor's campaigns. Castor has called the allegation absurd, and said he would encourage anyone to call the district attorney under those circumstances.

Ferman said she filed the contempt-of-court petition in March after learning of Sokoloff's candidacy, which violated the court order. A hearing is scheduled before Tressler on Dec. 22.