On Friday, January 8, 2016, Cumberland County Superior Court Judge David W. Morgan will determine the county’s motion for relief from the consequences of a default entered against the County, the County Prosecutor and the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a female detective in the Prosecutor’s Office. At the same time, Morgan will also determine Plaintiff Lynn Wehling‘s motion to have final judgment entered in her favor.
According to a screenshot from the Superior Court’s computer, the County defendants “defaulted” in the lawsuit while Wehling is shown to be the “prevailing party.” According to a court order issued by Morgan on August 12, 2015, the County defendants were apparently placed in default because of Wehling’s successful motion to strike the County’s defendants’ failure to comply with discovery rules. The August 12th order also compelled the County to pay Wehling’s lawyer, Kara A. Mackenzie of the Chatham law offices of Gina Mendola Longarzo LLC, $2,216.30 in fees and costs for having to enforce the County’s breach of the discovery rules. In earlier orders dated May 12, 2015 and June 4, 2015, Morgan ordered the County to pay Mackenzie $1,185.07 and $1,093.54 respectively.
The attorney handling the matter for the County defendants when the three orders were entered was Kimberly A. Procopio. When the lawsuit was filed in 2013, Procopio was associated with the Egg Harbor Township firm of Nehmad Perillo & Davis. On September 8, 2015 Procopio advised the court that she became affiliated with the Leonard Law Group of Atlantic City. On October 29, 2015 A. Michael Barker of the Linwood firm of Barker, Gelfand & James became the County defendants’ attorney.
In her lawsuit, Wehling claimed that her supervisor, George Chopek, sexually harassed her with inappropriate comments dealing with gender and sexual orientation.
