Former Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins will not face jail time after he pleaded guilty to charges he was lenient to female drug dealers in exchange for sex.
Bedford County Common Pleas Judge Thomas S. Ling on Friday sentenced Mr. Higgins to serve eight years of probation, four months on home electronic monitoring, 1,125 hours of community service and a $9,700 fine.
He is also to undergo alcohol/sex addiction/mental health counseling.
“We believe the sentence imposed today was fair in light of the totality of circumstances surrounding this case,” said Steve Passarello, Mr. Higgins’ attorney. “My client is happy to put this behind him and begin to rebuild his life with his wife and children.”
Pennsylvania State Police in April filed more than 30 charges against Mr. Higgins, 44, in connection to his interactions with female drug dealers.
The investigation, according to the criminal complaint, revealed that Mr. Higgins intentionally compromised drug investigations by refusing to authorize a valid search warrant, refusing to file criminal charges in some cases, and disclosing the identity of multiple confidential informants, putting their lives in danger.
Mr. Higgins pleaded guilty to all charges against him in May.
“The court imposed sentence today for a former district attorney who abused the powers of his office to commit crimes and deprive the people of Bedford County of a fair, impartial justice system,” said state Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Higgins abused his office and committed crimes over an extended period of time, but no one did anything. Our office worked with the Pennsylvania State Police to charge and remove Higgins from office, so the District Attorney’s Office could function with stability and integrity. Higgins will never again be able to use the tools of a prosecutor’s office to commit these crimes.”
First Published: August 17, 2018, 11:45 p.m.
