In Wake of Rape Charges, Trappe Appoints New Law Firm

Trappe Borough Council voted Tuesday night to appoint a new solicitor for the last  month of 2013, in the wake of an alleged rape scandal at Kerns, Pearlstine, Onorato & Hladik, LLP.

David Onorato has been a fixture at borough council meetings, a representative of the law firm headed by former Montgomery County Republican Committee Chairman Robert J. Kerns, who was charged with drugging and raping an employee on Nov. 26.

"The solicitor on your minutes is a firm that no longer exists," said Onorato at Tuesday's meeting. "Effective Dec.1, we created a new firm and are moving on with our practice."

The law firm is now known as Hladik, Onorato & Pearlstine.

The Kerns, Pearlstine, Onorato & Hladik website is "currently under construction."

The borough will appoint a solicitor for 2014 at its January reorganization meeting.