The Pennsylvania Supreme Court put on hold the appeal of Westmoreland County’s former sheriff, who is seeking the dismissal of two criminal offenses related to allegations of public corruption.

The court this week said it will delay a decision on whether it will consider the appeal in the pending case against Jonathan Held as it mulls a similar case, which could have implications for the former sheriff’s contention that a judge erred by not granting a defense request to end the prosecution following a mistrial in late 2018.

Held, 46, is charged with conflict of interest and theft. Prosecutors accused him of directing on-duty staff in the county sheriff’s department to perform campaign chores for his reelection bid in 2015.

Held, a Republican, served two terms before he was defeated last fall by Democrat James Albert.

Defense attorney Ryan Tutera said Wednesday that Held, formerly of Hempfield, moved to Florida and has no intentions of again holding a public office.

Still, Held has maintained his innocence and claims the criminal charges were a result of disgruntled staffers and political opponents.

“We feel that the trial court was in error by not granting our motion for acquittal,” Tutera said.

The defense claimed that Senior Judge Timothy Creany should have dismissed the charges for a lack of evidence and that jurors should not have been allowed to deliberate in the case.

The state’s Superior Court said in June it did not have jurisdiction to hear Held’s appeal. In that ruling, the appeals court sided with an opinion from Creany in which he rejected the defense argument seeking a dismissal. Creany ruled the mistrial did not end Held’s prosecution and that his appeal was not timely.

A three-day trial in December 2018 ended after jurors were unable to reach a verdict. The jury initially reported it had found Held guilty, but one panelist rescinded his verdict in open court. After another 30 minutes of closed-door deliberations, the judge declared a mistrial.

A spokesman for Attorney General Josh Shapiro said previously the office will seek to retry Held.

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