On Friday, January 10, 2025, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Judge Anthony T. Verwey of the Court of Common Pleas in Chester County recused himself from presiding over the civil trial involving former Jackass star Bam Margera. The trial was scheduled to commence this week but has been delayed following the judge’s decision, which stems from a recently discovered connection to a 17-year-old legal case involving both Margera and Verwey.
The controversy arose when Margera’s attorneys filed a motion for Verwey to withdraw from the case. They cited his previous role as an attorney representing Pocopson Township in a zoning dispute against Margera in 2007. The legal team argued that this prior involvement could bias Verwey in the current civil suit, which accuses Margera of creating unsafe conditions at his property, known as Castle Bam, leading to a motorcycle accident.
Margera, 45, who has recently had legal troubles, including a week in jail for probation violations, is facing a civil lawsuit filed by Matthew Sharpler. The lawsuit, initiated in 2021, claims that Margera failed to maintain safe conditions at Castle Bam, a property that has transformed from a farm into a recreational space featuring skate parks and areas for motorcycling and ATVs. According to the complaint, Sharpler was a guest at the property in 2019 when he suffered serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, after crashing a motorcycle while allegedly intoxicated.
In light of the motion filed by Margera’s legal team, Judge Verwey recused himself two days before the trial was set to begin. Despite this, he expressed his concern regarding the professionalism of Margera’s attorneys, particularly admonishing them for what he referred to as a “lack of professionalism, candor, preparation,” in their handling of the case. He noted that he did not wish to reward such behavior but ultimately decided to delay the trial and assign it to a new judge to maintain public confidence in the judicial process.
The incident at the heart of the lawsuit occurred when Sharpler, reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, was riding a motorcycle at Castle Bam and crashed, requiring helicopter transport to a medical facility for treatment. The lawsuit contends that the hazardous conditions on the property, which included the presence of drugs, alcohol, and various vehicles, contributed to the accident. Sharpler’s attorney, Henry McHugh, asserts that Margera’s negligence in managing these conditions has led to significant injuries for his client.
Conversely, attorneys representing Margera argue that Sharpler’s injuries resulted from his own actions, insisting that as the host, Margera bore no legal duty to protect guests against risks that were obvious and voluntarily accepted. They maintain that the nature of the recreational activities at Castle Bam was known to all guests, including Sharpler.
As of the latest court records, a new judge has not yet been appointed to oversee the case.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
