The criminal case against Frank Schmitter has been transferred out of Seneca Falls Town Court, with a special prosecutor now appointed to handle the matter stemming from an alleged confrontation inside the town municipal building last month.
According to the Finger Lakes Times, the 7th Judicial District Administrative Office appointed Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan as special prosecutor in the case. The matter has also been moved to Tyre Town Court, where Schmitter is scheduled to appear at 4 p.m. May 27 before Town Justice Kathy Jans-Duffy.
Schmitter, 66, was arrested May 1 by the Seneca Falls Police Department and charged with third-degree criminal mischief, official misconduct, and second-degree harassment following an April 30 incident involving Town Board member Wendy Crane at the town offices on Ovid Street.
Previously filed court records alleged Schmitter damaged an interior wall while attempting to create a teller-style payment window inside the zoning and code enforcement office without Town Board approval. Investigators also alleged Schmitter made physical contact with Crane during the confrontation.
According to police depositions previously obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Crane told investigators she followed Schmitter into his office to discuss the unauthorized construction work privately when the encounter escalated. Police alleged Schmitter forcefully opened a door into Crane, striking her heel and causing pain and a visible injury.
Investigators further alleged the damage to the wall totaled approximately $1,050.
Several town employees were interviewed as part of the investigation, according to police records.
Schmitter entered a mandatory not-guilty plea following his arraignment in Seneca County CAP Court and was released on his own recognizance. An order of protection was also issued at the request of the alleged victim, according to court records.
It remains unclear who Schmitter has retained as legal counsel.
The arrest and subsequent allegations have continued to fuel political tension inside Seneca Falls government, where Schmitter is just past the halfway point of his first four-year term as town supervisor.
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