Potter County Opens Inquiry Process for People Concerned Their Information Was Sought Through DA Subpoenas
COUDERSPORT, Pa. — Potter County residents who are concerned their personal or confidential information may have been requested through District Attorney subpoenas now have an official process to ask the Clerk of Courts to search for records.
The new county-level documents come as Potter County District Attorney Andy Joseph Watson remains the subject of a pending disciplinary case before the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
The official disciplinary docket, listed as Office of Disciplinary Counsel v. Andy Joseph Watson, 49 DB 2026, does not show any new disciplinary filings, orders, or final disposition since hearings were scheduled on June 2. The docket still lists three disciplinary hearing dates: Dec. 8, Dec. 9, and Dec. 10, 2026, each at 9:30 a.m.
However, newly posted Potter County court and Clerk of Courts documents provide more information about how local officials are handling inquiries connected to the subpoena issue.
Clerk Says Requests Are Being Processed
In a June 8 letter, Potter County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Ashley M. Gledhill said her office is working through requests from people seeking information about whether their information was obtained or requested.
Gledhill said each person must inquire for themselves, in writing, and provide any information they are worried about, such as bank account information, Social Security number, date of birth, full legal name, IP addresses, email addresses, and other identifying information that could help the Clerk’s Office search.
“If you are requesting on behalf of someone else,” the letter states, “please understand that any documents found would have to have the personal/confidential information redacted.”
Gledhill said the office is processing requests in the order they are received and asked residents to be patient, noting that it is a small office.
The county also posted a “DA Subpoena Inquiry Form” asking people to provide identifying information and to list the types of records they are concerned about. The form includes fields for full legal name, phone number, IP address, Social Security number, employer, social media or payment apps, bank account information, medical or mental health records, employment records, hotel reservations, insurance claim records, university transcripts, and weapon ownership records.
Court Order Says Subpoena Files Remain Sealed
A June 2 administrative order signed by Potter County President Judge Stephen P.B. Minor states that the District Attorney had filed subpoenas containing personal or confidential information regarding individuals who were under investigation.
The order states that the filings were prior to 2023 and that much of the information contained within the subpoenas is private or confidential.
Under the order, subpoenas containing that information are to be released only to the person who is the subject of the inquiry. Requests involving other people are to be reviewed by the Clerk of Courts, with confidential and personal information redacted.
“The subpoenas shall remain sealed and not subject to public viewing,” the order states, except as allowed under the order. Gledhill was assigned to oversee the administration of the order.
Judge Disclosed Complaint Against Watson
Another attached court order, dated May 28, states that the Potter County Court was issuing a disclosure to parties in proceedings involving the District Attorney’s Office because the court had made a complaint to the Disciplinary Board against Watson.
Judge Minor wrote that the disclosure was being made under judicial ethics guidance because the Disciplinary Board had publicly charged or announced disciplinary action against a member of the bar.
The order states that the public filing of the Petition for Discipline against Watson had occurred and that disclosure was warranted.
Disciplinary Case Still Pending
The underlying disciplinary petition accuses Watson of professional misconduct related to the alleged use of subpoenas to seek information from third parties in criminal investigations where no active court case was pending.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleges that between 2010 and 2022, subpoenas were issued using “miscellaneous” case numbers or captions despite there being no active case pending. The petition alleges the subpoenas sought personal, confidential, or privileged information, including phone records, utility and email records, IP addresses, medical and mental health records, bank and credit card information, prescription information, employment records, hotel reservation details, insurance claim records, university transcripts, and weapon ownership records.
The petition also alleges that some subpoena-related non-disclosure language represented that recipients were “ordered by the Court” to provide records and not notify the person whose information was being requested.
Watson denies professional misconduct. In his answer to the disciplinary petition, he says he did not intentionally mislead anyone and did not understand the process to be improper before December 2022. Watson states that the practice predated his time as district attorney, was used by prior district attorneys, and was discontinued after it was challenged.
Watson also disputes the petition’s characterization that the subpoenas amounted to “hundreds” of instances, saying he does not know the specific number. He further denies that responsive private records from third parties were placed in publicly accessible miscellaneous files.
No final determination has been made by the Disciplinary Board.
What This Means for Residents
The newly posted county documents do not mean the disciplinary case has been decided, nor do they add a new ruling by the Disciplinary Board.
They do, however, create an official process for people to ask Potter County officials whether their information may have been involved in the subpoena files. The county’s form directs residents to submit requests directly to Clerk of Courts Ashley Gledhill, either by handwritten form or by email.
The disciplinary case remains pending, with hearings currently scheduled for December.
