Former Derry man convicted of illegal recording at courthouse

A former Derry man was convicted Wednesday of three felony charges for violations of the state’s wiretapping laws.

Justin Juan De La Martinez, 43, now of Illinois, was found guilty of illegally recording and distributing video of a employee in the Westmoreland County Court Administration Office. Prosecutors contended Martinez did not obtain consent from the employee to video record their conversation on Oct. 14, 2021 and later posted it on social media.

Martinez claimed he had consent to record.

“My argument here is there is malicious prosecution and I believe this is intertwined with my previous cases in relation to my standing up against bullying and protesting,” Martinez said following the announcement of verdict.

Martinez was convicted last summer by another Westmoreland County jury of two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, according to court filings. He was found not guilty of defiant trespass and resisting arrest.

Those charges stemmed from separate incidents. In one case, police said Martinez refused to comply with orders to move from in front of the school while wearing a mask to advocate against bullying, according to court papers. A second set of charges stemmed from an incident the same month at the state police station, where Martinez went to make a complaint against a trooper.

Senior Visiting Judge Timothy Creany presided over this week’s trial and ordered Martinez to remain free on bail as he awaits a sentencing hearing tentatively scheduled for Sept. 21.