FRACKVILLE — The borough tax collector and former employee of both the Schuylkill County district attorney and clerk of courts offices was arrested Tuesday on assault charges.
Janice Huth, 54, of 503 W. Arch St., Frackville, was arrested by borough police on misdemeanor charges of simple assault and resisting arrest as well as summary offenses of disorderly conduct and harassment.
She was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale, Frackville, and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Patrolman Devin Bodman charged Huth stemming from an incident involving her husband about 6:45 p.m. at 126 W. Frack St. in the borough.
Bodman said officers were called to the Frack Street home for a report of a domestic disturbance and were met by both Joseph and Janice Huth. Patrolman Travis Dissinger separated the two by taking Joseph Huth to another room while Bodman said he interviewed Janice Huth.
Bodman said Janice Huth reported she went to the home to retrieve a dog.
While there, Bodman said, Janice Huth became involved in a physical and verbal argument with Joseph Huth who did not want to give her the animal because of her being aggressive.
After speaking with both Janice and Joseph Huth, Bodman said, Janice Huth was taken into custody and had to be physically removed from the home. The woman resisted being placed under arrest by pulling her hands away and refusing to obey commands, the officer said.
Bodman said Janice Huth said she was not getting arrested until she was told what she was being charged with, prompting officers to physically assist her out of the home because she was refused to comply and get into the police vehicle.
Joseph Huth was interviewed and said that about 6:20 p.m., he left the home at 503 W. Arch St. and went to the Frack Street address to avoid any conflict with his wife because she was angry over marital problems.
The man said his wife later came to the Frack Street home and became aggressive and violent toward him over the dog, Bodman said.
Huth said he refused to give the animal to Janice Huth at that time because he feared for the dog’s safety due to the woman’s emotional state.
Bodman said Joseph Huth reported he began to walk away from his wife but she grabbed him by his hooded sweatshirt and two chains that were around his neck, breaking those chains.
The officer said Joseph Huth suffered visible injuries to the front and back of his neck caused by his wife grabbing him.
Janice Huth will now have to appear for a preliminary hearing tentatively set for noon Feb. 25 before Hale in her Frackville courtroom.
Huth was employed in the district attorney’s victim’s advocate office and left there after being named first deputy in the Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts office in spring 2015.
Later that year, Huth resigned from that position and is now employed as a program secretary at the Schuylkill County Prison.