The Bucks County District Attorney's Office now has a dedicated detective whose job is investigating law enforcement officers and public officials accused of misconduct.

District Attorney Joe Khan swore in Detective Timothy Hartman, Deputy District Attorney Catherine Pirolli and Assistant District Attorney Alexandra "Lexie" Bethman at a July ceremony at the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown. Judge Matthew D. Weintraub administered the oath to Hartman, while Judge Charissa J. Liller swore in the two prosecutors.

Hartman, a 26-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department who spent more than two decades as a detective focusing on violent crime and firearms offenses, joins Squad 5, the office's Special Investigations Unit. His responsibilities will include investigating allegations against law enforcement and elected or appointed officials, according to the DA's office.

Hartman's hire implements a structural change Khan outlined in his June 2026 Transition Committee Report, titled "Building a 21st Century DA's Office." That report called for establishing a distinct Special Investigations Unit operating under an independent reporting structure "to safeguard the integrity of public corruption and official misconduct inquiries."

The report was developed by a 24-member committee over 120 days and produced 50 operational recommendations. It also called for relocating the Chief of County Detectives and an active investigative squad back into the Justice Center after a decade-long offsite separation. Khan appointed Jack Slattery as Chief of County Detectives as part of the reorganization.

The same week as the swearing-in, Khan announced criminal charges against a former Bucks County deputy sheriff accused of secretly photographing naked prisoners. At a July 20 press conference, Khan said: "This office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute official misconduct at all levels of government to ensure that no one is above the law, especially not those who are sworn to enforce it."

Pirolli returns to the Bucks County DA's office after serving as a Deputy Attorney General with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. She previously prosecuted cases in Monroe and Pike counties as well as in Bucks County.

Bethman transitions from her role as a law clerk to Judge Liller. A graduate of Widener University Delaware Law School and a former intern with the DA's Office, she moves into a full prosecutorial role. Judge Liller offered special praise to her former clerk during the ceremony.

The transition report commits to a progress update on its 50 recommendations within one year of publication.