Already pushing changes to the magisterial court process, the Carbon County Mayor's Association used a recent drug smuggling case as a prime example of why their concerns need to be taken seriously.

The referenced incident occurred April 8, when a Saylorsburg man left heroin, suboxone, and syringes in the public bathroom of District Judge Casimir Kosciolek's courtroom in Lansford for his incarcerated girlfriend to find.Jacqueline Homschek, 24, of Kunkletown, who was at the office for a court hearing, hid the drugs inside her body and took them back to the Carbon County Correctional Facility, where she shared them with other inmates.Those charged in the case are expected to have preliminary hearings this week.Several mayors and police chiefs in Carbon County have been lobbying for preliminary hearings to be moved from one of four district court offices to the Carbon County Courthouse, in a process known across the state as "Central Court.""I just think it would create a more safe and effective environment," said Jack Soberick, of the Lansford Police Department. "That case really upset me because it seemed to come back like we weren't doing our job as a police department. It's not our job to be in there checking the bathrooms."Jim Thorpe Police Chief Joseph Schatz said it is challenging to have oversight of court facilities."I know what he's going through," Schatz said, "we're in charge of the entire courthouse."Previously, Soberick and his fellow police chiefs had cited overcrowding issues at district courts on Wednesdays, when the hearings are all typically held.Things have improved, he said Tuesday, but not enough to let the issue go away."There are two assistant district attorneys attending most of the time now and that has helped," Soberick said. "We're not getting out of there at 6 p.m. anymore after having hearings all day."Conversation turned from where preliminary hearings are held to how prisoners are getting there.Currently in Carbon, it is up to the police department that arrested a suspect to transport him or her from the prison to the hearing if the person is incarcerated."In my opinion, the sheriff's department needs to do the transports," said Brian Biechy, Lehighton police chief. "You go to other counties and after you put the person in jail, you never touch them again."The sheriff's office in Carbon becomes responsible for the transportation of incarcerated individuals only after their case has been bound over to Common Pleas court."The answer you'll get is that it's the cost of doing business," Biechy said. "But, there are also other counties who use constables to transport to a preliminary hearing and bill the defendant. Constables are qualified to do it and if you have a way to streamline things and make them more efficient, why aren't we taking advantage of that?"Carbon residents will elect a new sheriff in 2015 with the retirement of Dwight Nothstein.Lansford Mayor James Romankow suggested inviting the two remaining candidates after the primary election to a meeting where ideas could be pitched."The police chiefs have told the mayors not to let these issues go away," said Jim Thorpe Mayor Michael Sofranko. "We want to continue to have conversations with leaders at the county and state level in the hopes of getting things done."