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Casey: Shutdown, wall fight is ‘crisis of leadership’

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Greater Nanticoke Area votes to limit taxes, narrow kindergarten registration window

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; For the second week in a row, a police officer accused of forcing women into sex will appear before a county judge for a bail reduction hearing.</p><p>This comes after the officer&#8217;s attorney filed a motion calling a magistrate&#8217;s decision to deny him bail a violation of the state&#8217;s constitution.</p><p>Mark Icker, 29, of Dickson City, is accused of using his position as an Ashley police officer to force two women into oral sex and pulling down the shirt of a third woman and groping her.</p><p>He&#8217;s facing numerous charges, including counts of sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, official oppression and coercion.</p><p>Last Friday, Icker was arraigned on the third round of charges before District Judge Donald L. Whittaker, who denied bail for Icker.</p><p>That arraignment took place only hours after a bail reduction hearing before Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough. Icker&#8217;s attorney, Bernard Brown of Carbondale, successfully petitioned Vough to lower Icker&#8217;s bail from $1 million, which was set by District Judge Joseph D. Spagnuolo Jr. after the second round of charges.</p><p>Vough lowered the bail to $100,000.</p><p>Now, after another filing from Brown on Thursday, Icker will once again appear before Vough in an attempt to have his bail reduced.</p><p>In Thursday&#8217;s filing, Brown argues that Icker has a right to bail, and that Whittaker&#8217;s denial is a violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which says that all offenses should be bailable.</p><p>Icker, through Brown, asserts that he would be able to follow any and all terms of unsecured bail that the court might foist upon him &#8212; last week, Vough ordered that Icker could not have any law enforcement job during his bail or possess any items related to law enforcement, should he make bail.</p><p>Icker&#8217;s newest bail hearing will be conducted via video conference before Vough on Friday morning.</p><p>His lawyer said previously that Icker has turned in his badge, gun and uniform.</p><p>He also worked at police departments in Sugar Notch and Jessup in Lackawanna County.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL011019ICKER-Prelim2-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Icker </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL011019ICKER-Prelim2-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Icker </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Suspended cop facing sex crimes has another bail hearing set