Retired Judge Loses Appeal of Son's $1.25m Bequest to Library

The Pennsylvania Superior Court has rejected an appeal from a former Lancaster County judge who claimed his late son's decision to leave his $1.25 million estate to the Lancaster Public Library, instead of his family, was a product of an "insane delusion."

In its June 6 ruling, the court affirmed the ruling of a specially appointed judge who decided last July that the late Thomas Bucher — a former county parole officer and the son of retired Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judge Wilson Bucher — had based his decision to disinherit his family on familial acrimony, and possibly a belief that he'd been "kicked out" of the family by his father.

Thomas Bucher died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound July 20, 2008, at the age of 59. Earlier versions of his will left his estate — which included property given to him by his parents — to his family. The Bucher family said it was unaware Thomas had changed his will in 2003 to name the library as the sole beneficiary until the will went to probate in August 2008.

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Retired Judge Loses Appeal of Son's $1.25 Million Bequest to Library