One man really does make a difference, McKean County officials
are discovering as they work to substitute someone for Ron
Langella, who remains hospitalized following a heart attack last
week.

Langella is the chief public defender for the county and is
counsel for Children and Youth Services.

“The first consideration is the two positions that he holds,”
President Judge John Cleland said on Wednesday, explaining he’s
been involved in discussions with the county commissioners about
addressing the need for someone to fill in while Langella is off
sick and while he recuperates.

“They are positions that are filled by the county
commissioners,” Cleland said, adding that the decision for a
temporary replacement will be that of Cliff Lane, Bruce Burdick and
John Egbert.

“It’s a little up in the air how long he will be off,” the judge
said, referring to Langella’s medical condition and the possibility
that he may be off work for weeks or months. “Until there’s some
clearer medical direction on that, I don’t know.”

His duties must be carried out, and on Wednesday, Michele
Alfieri, director of legal affairs and human resources, was called
into service on behalf of CYS.

“At the present time, I am covering the CYS stuff until we can
figure something out for getting someone to step in,” she said from
her home Wednesday evening.

She explained that, at the request of the commissioners, she has
begun making general inquiries to members of the McKean County Bar
Association to see who is willing and able to help out.

“We hope within a week or so to have someone,” she said, adding
it will likely be one person to cover each role that Langella
played in the legal system.

While Alfieri did not know the number of criminal cases the
public defender’s office is currently handling – and assistant
Public Defender Doug Garber did not immediately return a call
seeking comment – Alfieri said she believed the number of criminal
cases filed in 2006 overall was at an all-time high.

“Not all of them are the public defenders’,” she added, but said
it was likely the office had a high caseload as well. Public
defender services are also available for juveniles in the criminal
system, so it’s not just the adult cases that need to be counted
when considering all that Langella had going at the time he took
ill.

Alfieri said with such a large caseload, it would be impractical
for the court to appoint attorneys to handle the outstanding
cases.

“We’re trying to just get a replacement in,” she said. “The
volume is so great … it’s the ongoing (matters, such as) going to
preliminary hearings and negotiating plea agreements … We’re trying
to find an attorney to step in and take over.

“The same on the CYS side,” Alfieri added. “The agency kind of
needs one person to turn to to help out with their proceedings.

“It wouldn’t be practical to manage it,” she said. “It’s a
temporary solution to get through this time period until we have a
better understanding of how long (Langella will) be off.”