Bill Halle

A county prosecutor argued Friday, Jan. 5, that former Butler Area School Board member William “Bill” Halle’s bond should be revoked because, from the county prison, he has been writing letters to an 18-year-old woman he was ordered not to contact.

Halle’s attorney countered that the letters Halle wrote while incarcerated were addressed to a longtime friend, not the woman, and the prosecution’s case is based on speculation.

Halle was sentenced to 60 days in jail in October for violating the conditions of pretrial supervision by having contact with the teen, who was 17 years old when Halle was accused of having intimate contact with her. Halle would remain in jail pending a trial if his bond is revoked.

Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCune heard both arguments and testimony from Halle on Friday, but didn’t immediately issue a ruling. He said he wanted to read the letters before making a decision.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Pitchford presented about 60 letters as evidence. She said Halle wrote them since he was jailed in October and they were intercepted by jail officials.

Halle, 59, was the 18-year-old’s counselor and employer at the former Net Outreach Center in Butler. The building has been sold.

Halle was placed on probation in June after violating a sexual violence protection order filed against him in April. The order was followed by criminal charges filed in May, in which city police accused Halle of having intimate contact with the girl. No-contact orders were put into place for both the civil and criminal case related to the allegations.

At a preliminary hearing in July, the teen refused to testify against him.

At Friday’s hearing, prison guard Michael Scuillo testified that he reviewed letters that Halle wanted to send by mail. The letters were addressed to a man, but appeared to be written to someone else, he said.

Butler Police Detective Eric Klopfer testified about text messages Halle sent to the female in May. He said the texts were about songs, his feelings for her and other subjects. Halle said “I love you” in one of the texts, Klopfer said.

Pitchford argued the letters were addressed to a man, but were intended for the woman.

She said one letter was a “getaway” or escape list containing a list of items that he wanted to be placed in his truck.

“The commonwealth believes this is a getaway list,” Pitchford said.

In some of the other letters, Halle wrote about romantic and sexual feelings, marriage, building a home, dropping charges against him, removing the no-contact order and other topics, she said.

She said it will take some time for McCune to read all the letters.

“I think the court will be just as disgusted as the commonwealth,” Pitchford said.

Defense attorney Thomas McKinley said Halle wanted to testify even though he advised against it.

Halle said he and the man he wrote the letters to have been close friends for 25 years and he thinks of him as a brother.

He said the letters were intimate but were about his friend’s health problems and included prayers.

The “getaway list” is a list of items that he wanted from the Net Outreach building, Halle said.

He said does not want to run away and, instead, wants his day in court.

McKinley argued for no change in Halle’s bond. He said interpreting the letter Halle sent to his friend would be difficult because of their close relationship. He said the prosecution’s case is based on assumptions, guesses and speculation.

A pretrial motion hearing is scheduled Wednesday in Halle’s criminal case. He is facing felony charges of sexual assault by a volunteer or employee of a nonprofit, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor and other charges.