Man Reports to Whitehall Magistrate's Office for Traffic Charge, Ends Up in Jail

A Wilkinsburg Borough man showed up at the Whitehall Borough magistrate's office on Friday and ended up at the Allegheny County Jail—but not for the charge that he came for.

A Whitehall police officer who was attending a traffic hearing at Judge David J. Barton's Caste Village office that day was informed by a colleague doing a routine database check that Bret M. Smith, 35, of 513 Jeanette St. in Wilkinsburg, would be at Barton's office for a traffic hearing that day, as well.

Smith had an active warrant from the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for failing to appear before an Allegheny County judge on driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of a controlled substance charges out of Wilkinsburg in 2012, Whitehall police Chief Donald R. Dolfi said.

Once the warrant was verified, the Whitehall officer detained Smith and transported him to the county jail.

To make matters worse for Smith, Barton found him guilty that day of failing to obey a traffic-control device, according to an online court record, and fined him $118.