Ex-judge acquitted on all but 1 count now faces new criminal case as DA revives AG's dropped probe
Convicted of only a single perjury count during a criminal trial earlier this year concerning alleged misuse of her office, a former Philadelphia traffic court judge now faces a second criminal case.
That’s because Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has revived a sting investigation against Thomasine Tynes and others which had been dropped by the state attorney general, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Williams described the case against Tynes, 71, and other potential defendants as “press and play,” referring to audio tapes in the sting. Tynes, who was the court’s president judge at the time, is captured on tape accepting a $2,000 Tiffany bracelet while discussing a court contract with an undercover operative in the sting, the DA said.
Tynes faces felony charges including bribery and criminal conspiracy.
However, AG Kathleen Kane has described the investigation as unprosecutable, contending that the probe uncovered only weak evidence and may have involved racial targeting. A spokeswoman declined comment on Kane’s behalf on the new case against Tynes, saying that the AG has a policy of not discussing other prosecutors’ cases, the Inquirer reports.
“We have a $2,000 Tiffany bracelet here,” Williams said at a Thursday news conference. “About 100 to 150 people get arrested every day in Philadelphia, some of them for shoplifting, taking some toothpaste or batteries from a corner store.”
An initial court hearing is scheduled for next week.
Tynes assumed the bench in 1989, became president judge in 2005 and retired in 2012. Her lawyer, Louis Busico, told the newspaper that Tynes was diagnosed with dementia several years ago.
“To a certain extent, she was put in a very awkward and somewhat compromising position by a well-dressed, smooth-talking person … who clearly approached her with an agenda,” Busico said, referring to the undercover operative.
