Sussex Co. Courthouse prank leads to investigation, suspensions

An internal investigation at the Sussex County Courthouse is underway, and two attorneys and a courthouse bailiff are suspended, after what appears to be a series of pranks taken a step too far.

Sources close to the Sussex County Courthouse tell 47 ABC that courthouse pranks have been going on for some time involving state prosecutors in the felony trial unit. However the incident that took the jokes to a serious level, apparently started with prosecutor Adam Gelof.

Gelof reportedly asked the courthouse’s Chief Bailiff, Delbert Garrison, to point his service weapon at a Deputy Attorney General who has not been named.

A Georgetown Defense Attorney, John Brady, says he has never seen a courthouse prank escalate to weapons use in his 20 years in practicing law.

In a statement to 47 ABC, Carl Kanefsky, public information officer for the Department of Justice says, “We can confirm a Deputy Attorney General has been suspended with pay pending an ongoing investigation. If a criminal charge is filed, that will be made public. The Department of Justice will not comment further because it is a personnel issue.”