Pennsylvania justice urges ban on defender group

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Pennsylvania justice urges ban on defender group
By MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press | September 4, 2014 | Updated: September 4, 2014 8:57pm

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's chief justice wants the state Supreme Court to ban lawyers at an organization that currently handles many appeals by convicted murderers on the state's death row.

Chief Justice Ronald Castille took that position in a rare single-justice opinion issued late Wednesday that resolved a number of issues surrounding a decision he wrote three years ago.

In both opinions, Castille took aim at the Philadelphia-based Federal Community Defender Office, writing that the group has engaged in abusive and unethical practices that warrant removing its lawyers from all Pennsylvania cases.

"This court has a responsibility for the entire Pennsylvania judicial system, to ensure the delivery of swift, fair and evenhanded justice in all cases," Castille said. "We are not obliged to indulge or countenance a group which manipulates and abuses the judicial process in Pennsylvania in the hopes of achieving a global political result that it has failed to secure through the political process."


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Pennsylvania-justice-urges-ban-on-defender-group-5734216.php

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[47of74]

1. Why do I get the feeling he'd be more at home in Rome....

...trying on Cappa Magnas in order to impress the likes of one Raymond Leo Burke?

[PeoViejo]

2. Yeah, only the 1% should have that privilege.

[another_liberal]

3. ". . . to ensure the delivery of swift, fair and evenhanded justice in all cases"

Mostly "swift."

While, "fair and evenhanded," not so much.

[enough]

4. Appalling. As a Pennsylvanian, I cringe. (nt)

[Hoppy]

5. First of all, the good news.. the article says the asshole is retiring this year.

But if he is sure the attorneys are using unethical procedures, move to have them disbarred.