Monday, October 24, 2016
Pennsylvania’s Former Attorney General Gets 10-27 Months in Jail
The political scandals here never seem to end—resignations and a conviction of Supreme Court Justices and now the conviction of the former AG Kathleen Kane on perjury and related charges.
Why? I place much of the blame on the practice of electing judges and other legal officials. As a result, too much politics enters the process.
In the case of Kathleen Kane, she won election to office despite having a very modest legal background. When she found herself in the midst of a political controversy, she found herself over her head and acted unprofessionally and illegally. She disclosed confidential grand jury proceedings and tried to cover up her role in the disclosure.
Does an appointment process guarantee perfect results? No. However, I think it increases the chances of placing responsible, qualified lawyers in positions of power.
You can read more at Philly.com (here).
(ljs)
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_skills/2016/10/pennsylvanias-former-attorney-general-gets-10-27-months-in-prison.html
True, Kathleen Kane was ill-prepared to be the Commonwealth's Attorney General. Many voters do not understand the role and responsibilities of the Office, leading to the election of candidates who should never be nominated in the first place. With this in mind, it is unlikely Pennsylvania will return to an appointed Attorney General. A change in the State Constitution would be necessary, requiring substantial time and money for the process to be completed. At this point, we need to better educate the voters on the statutory duties of the Office emphasizing that the best candidates need considerable practice experience and excellent legal judgment for the role.
Posted by: Emil A. Ricci | Oct 25, 2016 9:46:56 AM