SMETHPORT – McKean County Public Defender Ron Langella suffered
a heart attack last Friday and remains hospitalized in Erie, the
McKean County Commissioners announced on Tuesday.

During a reorganization meeting of the board, officials said
Langella was taken to Hamot Medical Center, where he’s believed to
be in stable condition.

Langella’s health problems will lead to some flux in the public
defender’s office, which is currently being overseen by Assistant
Public Defender Doug Garber until high-ranking county officials
decide on a more permanent solution in Langella’s absence.

He also serves as the solicitor for Children and Youth
Services.

“We are going to be meeting with the judges and others in the
next 48 hours to try and come up with some names,” Egbert said,
without disclosing any possible names publicly. “At this point, we
really don’t know how it will shake out. Right now, Doug Garber is
responsible and will hold down the fort.”

Egbert, who said there is a possibility of taking a “team
approach” to the daily operations of the office, said the
commissioners will be looking at bringing Garber “up to the pay
that is appropriate to the responsibility.”

According to the latest salary figures, Langella was earning a
base salary of $41,223. Meanwhile, Garber was garnering
$34,234.

“It’s a domino type of thing because Ron was doing more than one
job,” Egbert said.

In addition to being public defender and CYS solicitor, Langella
also previously served as the guardian ad litum for a portion of
last year. Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer currently provides ad litum
services to the county.

Egbert said it could be “three or four months” before Langella
is able to return to the job.

It wasn’t immediately clear on Tuesday how Langella’s absence
will affect a significant backlog of cases currently sitting in the
McKean County Court system.

This isn’t the first time in the last year that court officials
have had to deal with an illness.

Last year, District Attorney John Pavlock fell ill at the
courthouse during a court hearing involving convicted killer James
McMahon. Pavlock was treated at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in
Coudersport after experiencing severe flu-like systems.