At a Wednesday preliminary hearing in Bristol Borough District Court an agreement was reached between prosecutors and the Bucks County Public Defender’s office in which three charges were dropped, one charge changed and a guilty plea to aggravated assault entered by Marc Kornstedt of Bristol in a controversial case that still has questions remaining.
The open plea waiver agreement was made public at the beginning of the hearing and was apparently negotiated prior to the case being called for by District Judge Daniel J. Finello Jr.
Counts one, three and four (assault of law enforcement officer/simple assault, reckless endangerment) were withdrawn by the Bucks County District Attorney’s office. Count two, as part of the negotiated plea, was amended from aggravated assault to aggravated assault of a police officer and a harassment summary offense was added.
If Kornstedt changes his mind, although there is no indication he will, and decides to go to trial in the case, all original charges would be reinstated according to the agreement.
As part of the agreement Kornstedt will be sentenced to jail time of no less than 11 months 29 days to not more than 23 months 29 days, lawyers during the hearing said. He will also be given credit for time served, authorities said. That decision will most likely come in November at an yet-to-be-scheduled hearing
As a procedural formality Kornstedt will be formally arraigned at the Court of Common Pleas on October 17 in Doylestown.
Kornstedt spoke twice during the announcement of the negotiated waiver plea. He responded “yes” to Finello’s questions if he understood the deal’s particulars and its legal nuances.
Kornstedt’s ex-wife, Bristol Borough Police Officers Dino Lepore, Sgt Pete Faight (whose hand was no longer in a cast) and Detective Bill Davis attended the hearing just in case they had to testify if negotiations between the two sides broke down.
Also in attendance at the hearing as an “observer” was Bristol Borough Manager James Dillon. Dillon’s presence signaled potential litigation issues the borough and its officers could face if a civil claim was ever filed in response to allegations the officers violated Kornstedt’s constitutional rights in the May 30 altercation at his ex-wife’s home.
Screenshot Image of Bristol Borough Police Sgt Pete Faight apparently kneeing a handcuffed Marc Kornstedt on May 30 2025
Credit: Submitted
Bucks Digital Media, LLC – Lower Bucks Source
On May 30 Bristol Borough Police Officers Dino Lepore and Sgt Pete Faight responded to the 500 block of Linden Street just before midnight for a domestic disturbance call from Kornstedt’s ex-wife. When she met the officers at the front door, she held a baseball bat.
The victim told police Kornstedt was intoxicated and assaulted her. The victim said Kornstedt was upstairs with the children and probably would not come down.
Kornstedt, 38, came down the steps to the front door and became aggressive with police. He attempted to shut the front door on the officers, according to court papers. Faight pushed the door and Kornstedt began to fight with the officers. Faight suffered a broken hand that required surgery due to the confrontation, court records show.
Credit: Submitted
At Police Headquarters the victim provided a written statement in which she says her ex-husband came home intoxicated and when she confronted him about being intoxicated, he became violent and punched her in the face grabbed her by her hair threw her into a wall and placed her in a headlock, according to the probable cause.
Within days of publishing the original story sources alleged Bristol Borough was actively burying claims of police brutality and in-home video from security cameras.
A July 25th email to the Director of Communications of the Bucks County District Attorney’s office about the alleged assault on Kornstedt by Bristol Borough Officers and that the DA’s office cleared them was unanswered.
The office responded when Lower Buck Source contacted the DA’s office requesting comments on the story the publication exclusively published on September 2. The story featured videos of the May 30 incident/altercation (See Videos Below)
“Bristol Borough officers were investigating a violent domestic assault at the scene that day. Following a thorough investigation, the officers were cleared of any wrongdoing. The individual was charged with several offenses related to domestic assault and the assault on police officers,” said Bucks County District Attorney’s office spokesman Manuel Gamiz Jr, for this publication’s exclusive story posted on September 2.
Kornstedt’s mother attended the hearing with a friend and family member. She declined to comment for this story on the outcome or whether or not her son plans to seek a civil claim against Bristol Borough and its officers.
Dillion, the chief administrator for Bristol and a lawyer said he had “no comment” about the proceedings at the conclusion of the hearing.
Kornstedt remains confined at Bucks County Correctional Facility where he’s been since May 31st with his bail set at 10 percent of $10,000.00 following county judges reducing it at hearing during the summer.
Editor’s Note: Days after the video clip-based story was published, YouTube said they received a “privacy violation complaint” about the four video clips. Despite an appeal submitted to YouTube citing public interest, the online video company removed two of the four videos. Those videos were reinserted into the original story and above.
The videos were provided to Lower Bucks Source by a confidential source who did so as long as their anonymity is protected .
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