New hat for Montco's Castor: Special prosecutor in Centre County

Bruce L. Castor Jr. is a busy guy - who just got busier.

The Montgomery County commissioner, who also works as a private attorney and is campaigning to be county District Attorney, on Friday got sworn in as a special deputy district attorney in Centre County. That's home of Penn State University, for those of you who don't get out much.

Why would Castor, who lives in Lower Salford and works for the Ardmore-based law firm Rogers Castor, take cases from Happy Valley too? He didn't immediately return the Daily News' request for comment, but the Centre Daily Times (CDT) reported that his new duties will "extend only to cases involving efforts to disqualify the district attorney of Centre County and her assistants from prosecuting cases, and such other matters as the district attorney might assign to me from time to time."

The Centre County D.A. is Stacy Parks Miller. She has fought allegations since last year of impropriety, including claims that she forged a judge's signature on a bail order and pressured her employees to campaign for her reelection while on county time. Castor has represented her on those matters, and she appointed him to this Centre County post.

The new job has raised the eyebrows of critics who see a conflict of interest. But Castor and Parks Miller told the CDT that they researched the arrangement and found no ethical problems. Castor further told the CDT that his new post is unpaid, although Parks Miller plans to pursue payment for him.

Judging from recent headlines, the Centre County job could keep Castor quite busy.

Castor served as district attorney in Montgomery County from 2000 to 2008, when he became a county commissioner. He now hopes to be reelected as Montgomery County district attorney to replace Risa Vetri Ferman, the county's first female D.A. who announced in January she won't seek reelection and instead plans to run for county judge.