On Monday, July 21, 2025, PennLive reported that Snyder-Union County President Judge Lori Hackenberg has added a defamation claim to her federal civil lawsuit against Daniel Bozin, a criminal defendant from Beverly Hills, California, and his two media companies, Bozin Media Group and Bozin Holdings.
The amended complaint, filed in the U.S. Middle District Court, accuses Bozin of orchestrating a false and malicious campaign to tarnish her reputation. The filing removes unattributed opinionated statements about Bozin while maintaining the demand for compensatory and punitive damages. Bozin seeks dismissal of the lawsuit, citing immunity under Pennsylvania’s Uniform Public Expression Protection Act.
The original lawsuit alleges that Bozin launched a smear campaign against Hackenberg following her issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest on February 1, 2024, after he failed to appear for court proceedings related to criminal harassment and stalking charges filed on November 20, 2023. The charges stem from Bozin’s alleged actions against a Geisinger employee. Court records indicate he also missed his preliminary hearing on January 18, 2024, and his formal arraignment on April 29, 2024.
The complaint details several accusations against Bozin, including manipulating a grieving mother to falsely blame Hackenberg for her son’s death due to natural causes. The mother had been involved in a custody dispute before Hackenberg, who ruled in favor of the father, a decision upheld by appellate courts. The mother’s subsequent claims of antisemitism and bias were rejected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as baseless.
Further allegations state that Bozin created a Change.org petition calling for Hackenberg’s impeachment, falsely claiming she accepted bribes similar to two Luzerne County judges convicted of taking kickbacks. He is also accused of fabricating claims about Hackenberg’s minor daughter hosting underage drinking parties, hiring a plane to fly an “Impeach Judge Hackenberg” banner over a Snyder County event, and publishing defamatory images, including one depicting Hackenberg with blood-covered hands labeled “Murderer” and another suggesting she profited from child custody cases.
The lawsuit claims Bozin left threatening voicemails at Snyder and Union County courthouses, vowing to destroy Hackenberg’s career unless his case was dismissed. It also alleges he offered money for compromising photos of Hackenberg’s daughter.
Hackenberg seeks damages for reputational harm, emotional distress, and mental suffering, and demands that Bozin preserve all relevant documents.
Source: PennLive
