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Plymouth man admits indecent assault on young girl

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<p>Lawyers defending suspended Ashley police officer Mark Icker in a federal civil lawsuit filed by two women are seeking to have litigation delayed until several criminal cases are resolved.</p><p>A lawsuit filed in January on behalf of two women, identified under pseudonyms &#8220;R. Doe&#8221; and &#8220;S. Doe,&#8221; alleges Icker used his authority as an officer to violate their rights when they were detained without probable cause and later coerced to perform lewd sex acts.</p><p>Icker, 29, of Throop, is facing criminal charges related to &#8220;R. Doe&#8221; and &#8220;S. Doe&#8221; that include official oppression, coercion, sexual assault, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough has scheduled a criminal trial to begin May 13.</p><p>Icker, who remains locked up, is also facing similar charges related to two other women not involved with the federal lawsuit. One of the criminal cases involves his former position as an officer in Sugar Notch.</p><p>Attorney Bryan P. Werley, of the Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer &amp; Toddy law firm in Philadelphia, was retained in early March to defend Icker against the civil lawsuit.</p><p>In response to the suit, Werley filed a motion Thursday seeking a stay in the civil proceedings until Icker&#8217;s criminal cases involving &#8220;R Doe&#8221; and &#8220;S. Doe&#8221; have been resolved.</p><p>Icker has a right not to self-incriminate himself if the civil proceedings are permitted to go forward, Werley stated in the motion.</p><p>&#8220;&#8230; If this matter is not stayed, Defendant Icker will have to decline to answer factual averments contained in the (civil) complaint, as well as decline to respond to significant areas of discovery, to protect his federal and state constitutional rights against self-incrimination,&#8221; the motion says.</p><p>Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, who is assigned to preside over the civil lawsuit, has not yet ruled on the request to delay the litigation.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Mark-Icker-01052019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Icker </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Mark-Icker-01052019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Icker </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Lawyer seeks delay in civil lawsuit against ex-officer Icker