by peter e. bortner
Patrick M. Reynolds, whose 2013 candidacy for sheriff was derailed by his arrest in connection with an incident at his Reilly Township home, entered a special program Thursday in Schuylkill County Court that could leave him without a criminal record.
Reynolds, 47, of Branchdale, who had been charged with terroristic threats and simple assault, was admitted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program by Senior Judge D. Michael Stine.
Reynolds will be in the program 12 months, must pay all costs of participating in it plus $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, perform 10 hours community service and comply with orders from the court and the county Adult Probation and Parole Office.
If he does so, the charges against him will be dismissed and he can petition the court to have his criminal record expunged.
"Good luck to you," Stine told Reynolds, who said little during the hearing except that he understood the program and was voluntarily entering it.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Reynolds pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at Bradley Blumenschein, Loysville, about 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31, 2013, in the driveway of Reynolds' residence at 181 N. State Road.
Blumenschein, who works for Richard & Associates Inc., Enola, went to Reynolds' property to repossess a 2007 Ford Edge belonging to Dorothy Miller, the defendant's mother-in-law, police said.
Police said Blumenschein was removing Miller's car from the property when Reynolds appeared, pointed the gun at him and told him to leave the property.
Blumenschein called 911, after which Reynolds put his handgun back in his holster and took a long gun from his car, police said. However, Reynolds put the gun back in the trunk of his vehicle when he heard a siren from a police car, according to police.
A Republican, Reynolds lost the Nov. 5 race for a four-year term as sheriff to incumbent Democrat Joseph G. Groody, Ashland, who received 20,770 votes to Reynolds' 8,383. Reynolds had suspended his campaign Nov. 1.
Joseph P. Nahas Jr., Frackville, Reynolds' lawyer, said his client wants to put the entire matter behind him.
"Mr. Reynolds took the path of least resistance" by entering the program, Nahas said. "He admits no guilt."