By Mike Bucsko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pleasant Hills District Judge Mary Grace Boyle has been permitted to take a vacation until the end of the month instead of a 30-day suspension originally contemplated by her superiors in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Previous coverage

District Judge Boyle suspended for 30 days (10/1/05)
Pleasant Hills judge gives her staffers the silent treatment amid probe (7/16/05)

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Saturday that Judge Boyle was suspended for 30 days by President Judge Joseph James. However, Judge James issued a statement yesterday through Court Administrator Ray Billotte that said Judge Boyle has not been suspended, but is "currently on an approved vacation leave."

There was no further explanation about the events that resulted in Judge Boyle's absence. Mr. Billotte declined yesterday to comment and Judge James has not returned repeated telephone calls.

On Thursday, Judge James ordered her to report to his office Friday afternoon. During Friday's meeting, she was told to take a month off voluntarily, which she refused to do. Judge James then told her she had no choice and would be suspended. No written order was issued, though, and Judge James apparently relented sometime after the meeting and allowed Judge Boyle to take the month off as vacation. She's scheduled to return to work on Oct. 31.

Shortly after Judge Boyle left her Pleasant Hills office on Friday afternoon, county locksmiths arrived to change all the locks at her office. McKeesport District Judge Thomas Brletic was summoned by Judge James to hear the remainder of Judge Boyle's cases Friday.

Senior District Judge Edward Burnett, whose office was in Glassport before he retired last year, will preside over her cases in her absence.

For the past two days, Nancy Galvach, who oversees the county's minor judiciary courts in the court administrator's office, has been at Judge Boyle's office poring over records with the help of a county court employee.

Judge James in July ordered two of the three office workers from Judge Boyle's office transferred to other locations because she had refused to talk to them since shortly after the May primary election. The silent treatment began after she learned the workers had talked to an investigator from the state Judicial Conduct Board.

Judge Boyle is under investigation by the board for reportedly using her office and staff for her primary election campaign this spring. Judge Boyle, 55, won the primary over two opponents and will seek a fifth, six-year term in November.