Muncy Township Supervisor Terri Lauchle walks into the Lycoming County courthouse for her contempt hearing on Thursday afternoon. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Less than 24 hours after she was led from the court room in handcuffs for contempt of court, Muncy Township Supervisor Terri Lauchle has been released from the Lycoming County Prison, having signed the lot consolidation plan which up until she has refused to do.

Muncy Township Supervisor Heath Ohnmeiss confirmed to the Sun-Gazette that Lauchle had to his knowledge signed the FAMVest plans in order to be released from prison Friday.

The updated court papers signed by Judge Eric R. Linhardt read that the release was made at the request of the court and Lauchle’s sentence has been completed. The contempt order could only be purged if Lauchle signed the documents. Fines associated with the judgment must be paid within 30 days. At the time of her incarceration, Lauchle owed $7,000 in fines.

It also, hopefully, brings an end to a drama that has been playing out at township board meetings for several months with residents urging her to sign while she adamantly refused.

During a tense court hearing Thursday, Linhardt ordered Lauchle to sign the document which begins the process for development of the site in Muncy Township for a BassPro Shop by FAMvest LLC. With Lauchle’s signature, that plan can now move forward.

The proposed plan seeks to combine a parcel of land where the former Best Buy was located at what was once the Lycoming Mall, now the District, with an adjacent parcel in order to accommodate the Bass Pro store and parking area.

In previous court filings, Lauchle, who is the board chair, had argued that she didn’t need to sign since the vice-chair Denise Artley had signed. An argument Linhardt had shot down, saying there were lines for both the chair and vice-chair to sign.

During the latest contempt hearing, Linhardt had told Lauchle that by signing the agreement, which had been approved by a previous board, she was not saying that she agreed with it, only that she acknowledged that the proposal had been approved.

Linhardt had also stated, as he had in a previous hearing, that by signing she was not giving up her right to appeal, but Lauchle would still not sign.

He asked her point blank if she understood that she now risked going to jail if she did not sign.

“Are you prepared to go to jail and not sign this,” Linhardt said.

In one last effort, Lauchle had attempted to explain why she wouldn’t sign, citing that she felt it was why she had been elected to ensure the proper process was followed, an excuse she had often stated several times before.

Lauchle, who had been found in contempt of court for not signing the documents during a hearing last month, had been fined $500 per day.

Linhardt had sentenced her to six months in the Lycoming County Prison and said that she would not be eligible for work release or ankle monitoring programs. He reiterated his prior ruling that her fines would be paid from her personal funds and that they were not to come from taxpayer monies.

Lauchle and the board still face a suit filed by township resident Cori Cotner alleging violations of the Sunshine Act on several occasions during meetings since the new board took office.

Residents had also circulated a petition to remove Lauchle and Artley from office.