We Finally Got the Name of Pa.'s 'Porngate' Supreme Court Justice
There's just something about Pennsylvania, porn, and the race for governor.
Last month, a guy who starred in a "torture porn" flick showed up in a campaign ad for Tom Wolf, the Democrat running for governor. It was worth a laugh or two -- not the least bit because the star's day job is as an attorney, and in the movie he played a cannibalistic attorney -- but really, it was much ado about nothing (especially for Wolf, who leads by double digits).
Then last week, word leaked that subordinates of incumbent (and behind-in-the-polls) Gov. Tom Corbett were forwarding porn to each other on their work accounts for years -- something that was discovered during the Jerry Sandusky investigation, but was only just now released because ... election season?
But the most ridiculous non-issue of the bunch was the news, from earlier this week, that a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice may have sent and received some of the emails, from a private Comcast email account, way back in 2008 to 2009. Guy looked at porn six years ago! The only thing worse would be getting a lap dance when you were in your 20s!
Pa. Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery (Allegedly) Sent Naughty Emails
According to The Morning Call, Justice Seamus McCaffery sent at least eight sexually explicit emails to an employee in the state attorney general's office. That recipient, of course, forwarded those emails down the line to others.
In total, McCaffery was identified as the recipient or sender of 54 emails which include nude centerfolds, sex videos, sex jokes and political humor, though most of them were not sexually explicit. Justice McCaffery, a former police officer, forwarded a few of the emails on to other former police officers.
Politics as Usual?
When asked about the emails, McCaffery wisely inquired, "Since when does the news media pry into personal emails?"
Exactly -- though his boss, Chief Justice Ron Castille, seems to be concerned: Castille told reporters that a judge "should not be fraternizing too closely with either prosecutors or defense attorneys by sending personal emails of any kind," though he did not mention McCaffery by name. According to Wilkipedia, McCaffery is a Democrat, while Castille is a Republican.
Speaking of politics, the Morning Call notes:
[Attorney General Kathleen] Kane, a Democrat, has named eight men her office said received sexually explicit emails. All eight either work in Corbett's Republican administration or have criticized Kane's leadership style, prosecutorial decisions, and her internal review of the grand jury investigation of Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach who is in prison for child sex abuse.
Is There Any Way That This Is a Big Deal?
No, at least not yet. Let's be clear here: McCaffery sent a few naughty emails a few years ago from a personal email account to cop buddies. There are no allegations that he sent, say, bestiality pics (like our favorite Ninth Circuit judge) or racist, homophobic, and other politically incorrect emails (like another Ninth Circuit judge). There was nothing illegal alleged at all. At most, there may have been some overly friendly emails sent with someone who works in the state attorney general's office -- that's it.
Related Resources:
- 3rd Cir. Trips Over Meaning of 'Replace' in Gas Line Easement (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)
- N.J. Sup. Ct.: Sex Offender Ankle Monitor Is Ex Post Facto Punishment (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)
- N.J. Judge Who Played Prosecutor, Denied Counsel Gets No Immunity (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)