SCRANTON — A judge postponed sentencing Monday in Lackawanna County Court for a doctor convicted of illegally prescribing pain pills and other medication after she said she no longer wants to be represented by her court-appointed attorney, her third in the case.
Visiting Senior Judge John L. Braxton set a new sentencing date of March 10 for Stephanie Tarapchak, D.O., 47, of Ashland, with a stern warning there will be no more delays.
“If I am breathing and living that day, I will be here doing my job,” the judge told Tarapchak, who appeared via a video link from the county jail, where she has been held for two years.
A jury convicted Tarapchak on Oct. 6 on corrupt organizations, drug delivery resulting in death and six other charges for prescribing thousands of powerful painkillers such as oxycodone and Percocet from 2008 to 2011 through her Schuylkill County practice. She potentially faces decades in prison.
Attorney James Elliott, who on Jan. 20 became the third lawyer appointed to represent Tarapchak, told Braxton he met with the doctor Friday at the jail and left thinking he was her attorney. However, he received a letter later in the day telling him he was fired.
Under questioning by the judge, Tarapchak confirmed she does not want to be represented by Elliott and asked for different counsel.
“The county cannot give you any more attorneys,” the judge told her. “We’ve given you three.”
Although he said he believes Tarapchak is deliberately attempting to avoid sentencing, Braxton granted a motion by Elliott to postpone the proceeding. He told the defendant that whether she chooses to represent herself, hire private counsel to represent her or use the services of Elliott, the March 10 hearing will have “only one purpose.”
“That purpose is for you to be sentenced,” he said.
Deputy Attorney General Robert LaBar, who prosecuted Tarapchak, objected to the postponement. He cited a pattern of delaying actions by the defendant, including doing “everything in her power” to get rid of one competent attorney after another.
“Here we are two years after this case started and it’s ‘Groundhog Day’ for her,” LaBar said.
Braxton denied a second motion filed by Elliott at Tarapchak’s request to recuse himself as the judge in the case.
The jury also found Tarapchak guilty of insurance fraud, theft by deception, perjury, endangering the welfare of children, distributing prescription drugs to a dependent person and refusal to keep required records. She was acquitted on four other charges.
Another charge accusing Tarapchak of smuggling drugs into the county jail was dismissed by Braxton during the trial for lack of evidence.