John L. Braxton
John L. Braxton was a judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.[1] Braxton was appointed to the court in 1981 by former Governor Richard Thornburg. He was elected later in 1981 and was retained in 1991. In 1995, Braxton retired from the court to run for the United States House of Representatives.[2] After his failed attempt, he became a mediator and arbitrator and later the treasurer for the National Bar Association. In 2010, he returned to the court as a senior judge, serving as-needed.[3]
Education
Braxton earned his undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and his J.D. from Howard University.[4]
Career
- 1995-2010: Mediator and arbitrator
- 1981-1995: Judge, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania
- 1978-1981: Chief of the Municipal Court Unit, District Attorney's Office
- 1976-1978: Blue Cross of Greater Philadelphia as Associate Counsel
- 1973-1976: Attorney in private practice
- 1971-1973: Attorney, Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen
- 1971: Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar[5][3]
Noteworthy cases
Judge who concealed citation against her son sent to prison
Judge Rita A. Arnold, of the Chester County Magisterial District, plead guilty to one count of tampering with records and one count of obstruction of the administration of law and was sentenced by senior judge John L. Braxton to 16 - 32 months in state prison on October 15, 2013. She had concealed a criminal citation against her adult son, Forrest Solomon, Jr.[6]
Solomon was fighting with his brother at Arnold's home when he received the citation by state police. Arnold allegedly told a court employee to "hold onto" the citation, fearing that it would interfere with Solomon's upcoming probation violation hearing. A few weeks after a police officer asked her about why the citation hadn't been filed, prosecutors said that she filed it herself. She later did submit the citation, but in it she changed her son's identity to that of a black female. This discrepancy was discovered in a routine audit.[6][7]
The Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, when it learned about the situation, gave Arnold one-month's suspension without pay.[7]
Following her arrest for the obstruction of justice and records tampering charges, Arnold resigned from her judicial post.[8] She plead guilty to the charges on June 24, 2013.[9]
At the criminal sentencing, Braxton reprimanded Arnold and tied the harsh sentence with her increased responsibility as a judge, saying:
| “ | You knew the responsibility before you. You chose not to tell the truth, knowing you had an obligation to tell the truth.[6][10] | ” |
To make matters worse, Arnold has breast cancer and will be required undergo her scheduled chemotherapy in prison. She will be eligible for parole after approximately one year.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania Administrative Office of the Courts, "Court of Common Pleas Judges," accessed November 9, 2015
- ↑ Philly.com, "John L. Braxton, A Former Judge, Enters Primary Against Foglietta," September 20, 1995
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 LinkedIn, "John Braxton," accessed July 16, 2013
- ↑ Martindale, "John L. Braxton," accessed July 16, 2013
- ↑ Our Campaigns, "Braxton, John L.," accessed July 16, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Daily Local News, "UPDATE: Judge denies Arnold's request for leniency," October 15, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Philly.com, "Ill ex-judge seeks leniency, gets lengthy prison term," October 16, 2013
- ↑ Philly.com, "Downingtown judge allegedly covered up son's citation," April 23, 2013
- ↑ Philly.com, "Former Chesco judge Rita Arnold pleads guilty," June 26, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
