CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A Fairmount City woman who allegedly recorded a business meeting without permission has waived her preliminary hearing.

According to online court documents, the case against 38-year-old Karen Elizabeth Skiba, of Fairmount City, has been transferred to the Clarion County Court of Common Pleas.

She faces one count of Intercept Communications, a third-degree felony.

On February 10, Skiba’s attorney, Eric Vaughn Hackwelder, of Erie, made an application for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program.

A criminal conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on April 5 in the Clarion County District Attorney’s office.

She is currently ROR (Released on Recognizance).

Details of the Case

According to a criminal complaint, on October 6, Clarion Chief of Police Officer Bill Peck investigated an incident in which Skiba, an employee of a Clarion business on South 7th Avenue, allegedly recorded a business meeting on her cell phone without permission.

The complaint states that Skiba attended the meeting on October 3 with five other known individuals associated with the organization. She allegedly recorded a meeting that was held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

After the meeting was over, Skiba talked to her supervisor about the meeting, and an argument ensued about what actually was said. Skiba then allegedly played the recording of the meeting which was on her cell phone, the complaint indicates.

On October 4, Skiba allegedly admitted that she recorded the meeting; she also said that she deleted it from her phone, the complaint continues.

On October 5, Skiba met with two individuals from the organization; she allegedly admitted three times that she recorded the meeting and said that “she had to do what she had to do to protect herself,” according to the complaint.

On October 19, Officer Peck went to Skiba’s residence and explained the complaint he received in reference to the incident. When he asked Skiba if she recorded the meeting on her cell phone, she replied, “no,” the complaint states.