Retired Pennsylvania Chief Justice Dies
The former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has died at the age of 65.
Ralph Cappy, who joined Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney after his retirement last year, died of an apparent heart attack, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Cappy had recently had heart surgery for blocked arteries.
Cappy was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was chair of the university’s board of trustees, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. In his role as chief judge, he was praised for making criminal court records available online and making the judiciary more accessible to minorities and women, the story says. He was later ensnared in controversy over judicial pay raises that were upheld by the state supreme court, without participation by Cappy.
Tom VanKirk, chief executive officer of Buchanan Ingersoll, told the Post-Gazette that Cappy was “a brilliant man and a wonderful person.”
“Ralph Cappy will not only be remembered for his tremendous contributions to the legal community, education and health care, he will be remembered for being a great person and leader to those who were fortunate to know him,” VanKirk said.
