Don't suspend state attorney general's law license, petition-signers urge disciplinary authorities
Kathleen Kane’s booking photo. Photo from the Montgomery County District Attorney.
After a reported effort by Pennsylvania attorney disciplinary authorities to suspend the law license of the state’s embattled attorney general, her supporters are fighting back.
They have launched a petition drive urging the disciplinary board of the state supreme court not to take any action against attorney general Kathleen Kane until the criminal case against her is resolved, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Suspending Kane’s law license could potentially force her from office, and violate her “constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” according to the Change.org petition. It also argues that suspending Kane’s law license would violate the will of the people who elected her to office.
Kane, the first Democrat and the first woman to be elected to the office, is facing a felony case for allegedly leaking secret grand jury information to the press in order to embarrass a political rival.
Whether being suspended from law practice would, in fact, force her from office is unclear, legal experts tell the Associated Press. It appears that she could continue to perform some, but not all, of the duties of her office even without a law license.
“If she’s suspended, she’s not removed,” said spokesman Jim Koval of the Administrative Office for the Pennsylvania Courts. “The Supreme Court doesn’t have the authority to remove her from office. She still holds the title.”
Lawyers for Kane either did not respond to a request for comment or declined to comment, the Inquirer says.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane proclaims innocence, blames ‘Porngate’ backlash for charges”
ABAJournal.com: “Porn emails cited by Pennsylvania AG are unsealed; she says senders ‘manufactured’ case against her”
