Arnold also violated county procedures by transferring the case to another district justice instead of notifying the president judge about the conflict of interest. She lied to the president judge, county court administrators, and the Judicial Conduct Board during the investigation, according to the board.
The suspension was more severe than the recommendation by the board's lawyer for a reprimand and two years of probation. Arnold, a district justice since 1994, had a clean record, admitted her misconduct, and did not push the case to trial, James P. Kleman told the court, according to the West Chester Daily Local News.
President Judge Robert E.J. Curran told Arnold the judges were "very impressed with your remorse," but said her family problems were not an excuse, the paper reported.
"I have been humbled and I have learned," she reportedly told the court. "There are no words. I screwed up."
Solomon and his half-brother, Jonathan Arnold, 29, were living at Arnold's Downingtown house when they fought.
Solomon had a 12-year history of convictions ranging from indecent assault to drug offenses. By keeping the harassment charge off the docket, Solomon's parole officer could not find out about it.
When troopers asked about the charge, Arnold told staffers to lie about it. Eventually, she transferred the case to District Judge Mark Bruno instead of notifying President Judge James E. MacElree II.
Bruno dismissed the charge in June 2010, when Jonathan Arnold failed to attend the hearing and Solomon showed that he had completed a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
But a county employee reported the mishandling of the case to the County Court administrator, who started the investigation.
Court Administrator Patricia Norwood-Foden and Arnold's lawyer, Heidi Eakin, did not return phone calls for comment.
Contact Bill Reed at 215-801-2964, wreed@philly.com, or follow on Twitter @breedbucks. Read his blog, "BucksInq," at www.philly.com/bucksinq.
