Magisterial District Court Judge Leslie Dutchcot Resigns

Leslie Dutchcot resigned from her seat on the bench on Sunday, bringing an early end to her second term as a magisterial district judge in Centre County.

Dutchcot had served as the judge for District Court 49-2-01 since 2008, presiding over cases in College, Ferguson, Patton, and Halfmoon Townships.

According to assistant court administrator Barbara Gallo, Dutchcot has taken a job outside Centre County with a private law firm, prompting her resignation. 

She had been at attorney with State College firm Goodall & Yurchak since 2006 and served as a Penn State instructor for six years.

“President Judge Thomas K. Kistler of the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County announced that senior magisterial judges will be assigned by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Court to handle the caseload of this office,” a press release from the court said.

Perhaps the most notable moment in Dutchcot’s tenure came when she was replaced after being slated to preside over Jerry Sandusky’s preliminary hearing in 2011. Dutchcot was a supporter of The Second Mile, prompting lawmakers to request her recusal and eventually replace her with an out-of-county judge.