Trial ordered for Pa. judge in citations dismissal

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - April 29, 2012 (WPVI) -- A central Pennsylvania judge has been ordered to stand trial on charges of having used her position to dismiss traffic citations against her own car.

The (Lancaster) Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era says a district judge on Friday sent the charges against 44-year-old Magisterial District Judge Kelly Ballentine to county court.

She was charged in February in Lancaster County with conflict of interest, tampering with public records and obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function.

Authorities allege that Lancaster police cited Ballentine's car three times in November 2010 for parking violations and expired registration, and the judge accessed the judicial system and dismissed the summonses.

Defense attorney Royce Morris denied that his client tried to obstruct justice and cited the "high volume" of cases in her office.

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Information from: Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

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