Intermission 14: Thoughts about Our Legal System, Part 1
Kathleen Kane entering the courtroom as a defendant.
It is unclear why the board waited until she was out of the office to discipline her or if they would have done so had she been re-elected. I suspect they didn’t want to interfere with the will of the county’s people who elected her to represent them. However, I think it was clear long before her term ran out that the people of Centre County were not happy with her actions. The Disciplinary Board did not seem to have a problem revoking the law license of Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, mid-term.
A Bumble profile screenshot featuring two photos of a person.
The image is a screenshot of the Bumble mobile app interface displaying a user's profile. The top photo shows a pair of feet in black shoes on a wooden floor, while the bottom photo is a close-up selfie of a blonde woman with makeup and a black jacket. No text or documents are clearly visible.
A selfie-style photo from the Bumble app featuring a woman with wavy blonde hair.
The image is a screenshot of the Bumble mobile application displaying a profile photo. The central subject is a woman with long, wavy blonde hair, wearing a black top and a necklace; she is looking directly at the camera. The background includes a bedroom setting with a bed and wooden flooring.
Selfie of a woman in a black sports bra indoors.
The image is a screenshot from the Bumble app showing a selfie of a woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and light makeup. She is wearing a black sports bra with white floral embroidery on the side and a thin gold necklace with a small pendant. The background includes a dark flat-screen TV on a white cabinet with wooden paneling behind it.
A Bumble profile featuring photos of a woman in casual and sporty outfits.
The image is a screenshot of the Bumble dating app interface displaying three vertical photos. The top photo shows a close-up of a person wearing a red sports bra over purple leggings. The middle photo features a smiling blonde woman in sunglasses, black tank top, and blue jeans holding a blue cup near wooden bird cages. The bottom photo is a close-up selfie of her face with blue eyes.
Woman in red bikini top on Bumble profile photo.
Screenshot of a Bumble dating app profile showing a woman with long blonde hair wearing a red patterned bikini top. The interface displays filters for height, activity status, education level, and social preferences. A second photo at the bottom shows her wearing sunglasses in front of a fence.
Profile photo of Poppy, 51, on Bumble.
This is a screenshot of the Bumble dating app showing a profile for 'Poppy, 51'. The image features a woman with long blonde hair wearing a camouflage tank top and holding a green glass jar. The background shows an outdoor setting with palm trees and a building. There are no visible oversized bank checks or related objects in the image.
Bumble profile page for user named Poppy, 51.
A mobile screenshot of the Bumble dating app displaying a profile for 'Poppy, 51'. The visible text includes height (5' 5"), activity status (Active), education (Graduate degree), social preference (Socially), and relationship goal (Never). A partial second photo is shown at the bottom.
Dating app profile showing a woman named Poppy, 51 years old.
The image is a screenshot of a mobile dating application interface displaying a user profile. The visible text includes the name 'Poppy', age '51', and location indicator '3 miles away'. A small information icon is present in the bottom right corner of the profile card.
A casual indoor selfie featuring a woman and a small white cat.
The image shows a close-up of a woman with long blonde hair wearing a black top and a delicate necklace. In the background, there is a small white cat walking on a wooden floor near some household items. The scene appears to be taken indoors in a home setting.
Woman posing in a car while Dua Lipa’s song plays.
The image shows a screenshot of a social media interface featuring a woman with blonde braided hair wearing aviator sunglasses and a black crop top. She is seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle, with her hand raised near her head. A music player overlay displays 'Don't Start Now' by Dua Lipa.
A casual photo of a woman posing indoors with music playing.
The image shows a screenshot of a social media interface featuring a woman seated on a dark leather couch. She is wearing a black strappy top and red pants, looking directly at the camera. A Spotify widget displays Dua Lipa's song 'Don't Start Now' in the lower left corner.
Profile card showing Poppy, age 51, with a music track displayed over an outdoor photo.
The image is a screenshot of a mobile app profile page featuring a woman named Poppy, aged 51. She has long blonde hair and is holding a green glass jar containing ice and liquid. An overlay displays her name, age, and a Spotify song titled 'Don't Start Now' by Dua Lipa.
A social media-style photo featuring a woman in athletic wear with overlay text.
The image shows a close-up of a woman with blonde hair wearing a grey textured sports bra. Overlaid on the bottom left is white text reading 'Poppy 51', and below that, album art for Dua Lipa’s song 'Don't Start Now' appears alongside Spotify branding. The interface resembles a mobile app screen with icons at top and bottom.
Another issue that became clear, and I would assume is an issue in all small-town legal systems, is that the attorneys are very much indebted to the judges, especially the defense attorneys. Small counties only have a few judges; in Centre County, there are four. Thus, attorneys are constantly in front of the same judge. The attorneys seem hesitant to in any way annoy a judge because there might be repercussions on other cases and even their careers. When attorneys do not have to be afraid of these repercussions, they can more vigorously defend their clients.
In a small legal system where everyone knows everyone, social relationships become part of the system. You have read and will read much more about “ex parte” communications in the coming chapters. Recall, these are communications between lawyers and judges in which only one party participates. It seems like they are commonplace in Centre County as people are constantly running into one another. Sometimes these communications are harmless, and sometimes they are even helpful. However, there is a reason they are not supposed to happen.
