Westmoreland prison inmate misses hearing after refusing to remove yarmulke, attorney claims

A Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of trying to kill his mother missed a court hearing Monday because he refused to remove his yarmulke, his attorney said.

Defense attorney Tim Andrews said Westmoreland County Prison officials would not take his client, Kort Noel Eckman, on the 3-mile car trip from the prison in Hempfield to the courthouse in Greensburg, stating the yarmulke was against internal policy related to religious attire.

Eckman was scheduled for a potential guilty plea hearing.

“(Eckman) follows the Jewish faith,” Andrews said. “They claim he refused to come, but they wouldn’t let him come with his yarmulke.”

A yarmulke, also known as a kippah, is the cloth skullcap worn in the Jewish tradition, often by Orthodox men at all times.

Eckman, 49, is charged with attempted murder and other related offenses in connection with the Oct. 3, 2023, stabbing of his mother. Police said Rose Eckman was stabbed as many as 20 times. She told authorities that her son believed she was a Nazi war criminal when he jumped on top of her while she was in bed and repeatedly stabbed her in the chest, according to court papers.

Eckman’s case had been delayed over concerns about his mental health and legal arguments over a potential insanity defense at his trial, which is scheduled to begin in September.

He was scheduled to appear in court Monday after prosecutors recently extended a new plea deal, Andrews said.

Eckman identifies as a practicing Jew and has worn a yarmulke during previous court appearances, Andrews said. He’s observed Eckman both with and without a yarmulke during video conferences from the jail.

“He’s adamant he won’t take it off,” Andrews said.

Westmoreland County Prison Warden Steve Pelesky did not return multiple phone calls seeking comment on Monday. Andrews said he will seek a court order demanding Eckman be allowed to wear a yarmulke in the future during transit to and from the courthouse.

The jail’s inmate handbook is not available for review on the county website. Inmates in state prison are permitted religious attire including yarmulkes, according to information made public by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

Andrews said Eckman’s adherence to Jewish tradition has become an issue during his incarceration. Eckman receives a kosher diet but his request for kosher vitamins were denied, leading to his being hospitalized for scurvy, his lawyer said.