Opinion ID: 2310083
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Public Policy and Recent Analogous Cases

Text: The trend of the law in Pennsylvania  both statutory and decisional, as well as the public Policy of our Commonwealth  is clear. In Commonwealth v. Evans, 399 Pa. 387, 389, 398, 160 A. 2d 407, James F. Torrance was convicted [] of misbehavior in office and of conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in connection with the construction of a part of the Northeastern Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. After Torrance's conviction, the Turnpike Commission brought an action of assumpsit against the surety to recover $300,000 because of Torrance's participation in the conspiracy to defraud the Commission and his failure to faithfully perform his duties. Torrance had given two bonds, one in his capacity as a member of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the other in his capacity as Secretary-Treasurer of the Commission. In each of these bonds the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. was surety, and bound itself unto the Commission for the faithful performance by Torrance of the duties required in his performance of the aforesaid offices. In that case, namely, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission v. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Co., 412 Pa. 222, 194 A. 2d 423, this Court [] held that the record of the criminal proceedings against Torrance was admissible, and that the judgments of conviction entered against Torrance were conclusive as to the defendant's liability for the face amount of the bonds. The Court said (pages 225, 226, 227 and 228): In their answers to the complaint, Torrance and Fidelity specifically denied the existence of the conspiracy to defraud, and misbehavior in office, and that the former had breached the conditions of the bonds; also that the conviction of Torrance was conclusive of their liability. . . .