Pecarchik sworn in to lead Register of Wills Office

Katie Pecarchik says she knows how the Register of Wills Office is supposed to run.

Pecarchik worked for two decades as a clerk in the office before she retired last summer. The office records adoptions, files wills and estates and issues marriage licenses.

She now has the title of acting register, taking over from three-term Republican Sherry Magretti Hamilton, who resigned this month. The office had been beset with filing delays, backlogs and staffing shortages officials blamed on Hamilton’s mismanagement.

On Monday, Pecarchik, 56, of Hempfield officially was sworn in as acting register of wills, two weeks after she took over control of the office when Hamilton’s resignation Sept. 3 became official.

“My plan is to be here every day at work and to bring back integrity to the office. Right now, our main goal is still training staff, and we are getting paperwork out in time and getting checks to the county on time,” Pecarchik said.

She was a longtime Democrat when she ran against Hamilton in 2019 and changed her party registration to Republican this year. She will serve as acting register of wills until a permanent replacement is nominated by Gov. Josh Shapiro and confirmed by the state Senate.

The term expires at the end of 2027. Hamilton, who was unopposed in last year’s election and started her third term in office in January, came under fire after it was disclosed the office had fallen months behind in the processing of adoption certificates for families and the filing of appeals on estate issues. Two court orders were issued requiring the office to meet specific work goals.

Hamilton was found in contempt of court for violations of the court orders as backlogs persisted. She was stripped of authority to run the office, and Greensburg lawyer Jim Antoniono was appointed to serve as conservator for the register of wills operation.

In June, just before a scheduled hearing in which Hamilton faced a potential jail sentence, she agreed to resign by year’s end and pay a $10,000 fine in return for the contempt of court finding to be reclassified as a civil judgment rather than a