Court Opinion

ID: 9758491
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 23:33:28.494784+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:52.358822
License: Public Domain

WATKINS, President Judge,
concurring:
The Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3, C(l)(b) recites: “(1) A judge should disqualify himself in a proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned including but not limited to instances where: (b) he served as lawyer in the matter in controversy . . . ” The Act of 1843 specifically applies to criminal proceedings. Act of 1843, April 4, P.L. 131, § 8, 17 P.S. 587.
The appellee was first tried September 17, 1975, before then President Judge Michael Kivko and found guilty of the charge of neglect to support a bastard child. He was granted a new trial which was scheduled before President Judge Peter Krehel. The Special Prosecutor made a written request to the trial judge to disqualify himself and call in an outside judge. The prosecutrix in this case was represented by private counsel as special prosecutor for the Commonwealth. The trial judge had served as counsel for appellee at an earlier stage of the criminal proceedings prior to his election, but refused to disqualify himself at trial. The *182Commonwealth again, at trial, requested that the trial judge disqualify himself because of his prior involvement with the appellee and he again refused. After the introduction of the Commonwealth’s case, he granted a demurrer.
The appellee argues that the only other judge in the judicial district was the former District Attorney and the same question may be raised as to his impartiality. The trial judge, however, was faced with the request by the appellee to disqualify himself. He could have assigned it to his associate judge in the judicial district and then the appellee would have had the option to seek his disqualification as the former District Attorney and an outside judge would be required to hear the case or the appellee could have waived and agreed to have the case tried by the associate judge. The trial judge should have disqualified himself to remove even a hint of prejudice or bias. The integrity of the court must be above question.
PRICE and VAN der VOORT, JJ., join in this concurring opinion.