PA Chief Justice Resigns
The chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, who withstood voter anger over his support for a judicial pay raise, has announced he will resign by the end of the year.
The announcement by Chief Justice Ralph Cappy surprised colleagues, who said he appeared to love his job but is now considering proposals for other employment, the Legal Intelligencer reports.
Lawmakers gave themselves and judges a pay raise in 2005 but later rescinded it, prompting a lawsuit. Cappy recused himself when the case reached his court, which ruled that the rescission was unconstitutional.
“Pennsylvanians may ask if the controversy over judicial compensation played any part in my decision to retire,” Cappy said in a statement. “Let me be clear: The fact is that the controversy played no part in this decision.”
