Profane outburst leads to criminal charges

WEST CHESTER >> The courtroom outburst that a defendant facing domestic violence charges unleashed against the judge sitting in his case — saying that he would be “coming” for the judge — has led to criminal charges being filed against him for the alleged threats.

A preliminary hearing on two counts of terroristic threats, plus charges of harassment and disorderly conduct, is scheduled before Senior Magisterial District Judge William Kraut in West Chester for Kenneth Abraham Copeland, who cursed and shouted at Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Sommer during a pretrial hearing at the Chester County Justice Center in January.

During that proceeding — in which the prosecutor asked Sommer to continue the hearing because the alleged victim in the case could not attend due to being in COVID-19 quarantine — Copeland angrily berated Sommer for not granting his motion to dismiss the charges. Before leaving the court, he said the judge could not “hide” from him outside the Chester County Justice Center.

According to a criminal complaint filed in January by Chester County Detective Keith Cowdright, Copeland complained that Sommer was “committing a crime against me. I have rights. I’m a … American citizen. I pay taxes,” all the while spewing profanities and complaining about his public defender.

Finally, as Copeland continued to shout and curse at him, Sommer ordered that he be removed from the courtroom.

“Mr. Copeland, I have had just about enough of you, and your language,” the judge said, instructing sheriff’s deputies, who had moved to stand directly at Copeland’s side in case he became physically disruptive, to take him back to Chester County Prison, where he was being held.

“You can’t hide in your house,” Copeland said, according to a transcript of the proceeding cited by Cowdright in his affidavit of probable cause, as he was escorted from the courtroom by deputies. “You can’t hide in the woods. People with rights coming for you, white boy.” Copeland is Black. Also named as witnesses to the event are Assistant District Attorney Nichole Morley, who is prosecuting the domestic violence case against Copeland, and another prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Stefanie Friedman, both of whom are assigned to Sommer’s court.

Sommer, who has served on the bench since 2014, also told Cowdright that he had heard Copeland tell him he would not “be able to hide” and that people would be “coming for him.”

Sommer has since recused himself from overseeing the domestic violence charges against Copeland. His attorney at the time, Assistant Public Defender Ellen Koopman, who was present at the time of the outburst, has also withdrawn from the case because she could be called as a witness in the threats case. He is now represented by veteran criminal defense attorney Alex Silow of West Chester.

Copeland’s ire came in part because he has been awaiting trial for more than 20 months, largely due to continuances that previous attorneys had asked for. When the pandemic occurred, jury trials in the county were first put on hold, then held on a limited basis, and then again sus

pended until next month, causing extended delays.

Copeland, 35, of Spring City, was arrested by borough police in May 2019 after his then-girlfriend told police that during an argument in their apartment, he punched, grabbed, and choked her. When police stopped Copeland outside the North Main Street apartment they shared, he reportedly mouthed, “I’m going to kill you,” at the woman, identified as Laniece Hanna. He was charged with felony strangulation, terroristic threats, and simple assault.

Copeland is a convicted sex offender, having been convicted of rape by forcible compulsion in Philadelphia in 2006 and sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison. He is reportedly also facing charges of failing to register his status with state police in Chester County.