CARLISLE, Pa. — Former Cumberland County District Attorney and Judge Merle "Skip" Ebert has died at age 76, current District Attorney Sean McCormack announced.
"As both District Attorney and Judge, Skip Ebert left an indelible mark on the criminal justice system in Cumberland County," McCormack said. "Not one to simply accept the status quo, Skip was always at the forefront of innovative changes.
"Skip pioneered the use of investigative grand juries at the county level. He pushed for the creation of Cumberland County’s Central Booking Center, which reduced the time officers had to spend processing arrestees and allowed officers to return to their patrol duties in a timely fashion."
"He was a strong proponent of establishing a Victim Services Division, staffed by trained victim advocates, within the District Attorney's Office to help victims navigate an often confusing and frustrating criminal justice system."
Ebert was also instrumental in creating the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office's Forensics Laboratory -- one of only three accredited, county-operated, full-service laboratories in Pennsylvania, McCormack said.
Early in his career, Ebert started Cumberland County’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program, which is designed to offer first-time offenders an opportunity to complete a special probationary sentence with a focus on rehabilitation instead of punishment.
The participants who successfully complete the program earn the right to have their charges dismissed and their criminal record expunged.
During his time as a judge, Ebert began Cumberland County’s first drug treatment court, which is designed to identify repeat criminal offenders and provide them intensive supervision and treatment services to reduce recidivism.
"Investigating grand juries, victim service units, ARD, central booking centers and treatment courts are now routinely found in other counties across the state," McCormack said.
"At the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, we strive every day to fill Skip’s larger-than-life shoes and to follow his lead to find ways to improve the criminal justice system and keep the citizens of Cumberland County safe and secure," McCormack said. "We send our condolences to his wife Anne, Skip’s family and all his friends and colleagues who loved him dearly."
