With an especially expensive state judicial election in the books, and three new justices set to join the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in January, voters have yet to see how campaign contributions will affect justices’ recusal decisions. But even with large contributions at play, the question of whether a judge should recuse from cases involving a donor remains a gray area.
Together, the winners, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Administrative Judge Kevin Dougherty and Superior Court Judges David N. Wecht and Christine L. Donohue, raised more than $9.9 million, including in-kind contributions. Their top contributors included unions and union-related political action committees, as well as trial lawyers and their firms.
