Former Pennsylvania AG sentenced to 10 to 23 months in jail News
Former Pennsylvania AG sentenced to 10 to 23 months in jail

[JURIST] A Pennsylvania judge on Monday sentenced former attorney general Kathleen Kane [official website] to 10 to 23 months in jail after she was found guilty of perjury and abusing her position. Kane resigned [JURIST report] from office in August after being convicted of leaking grand jury materials to discredit a political opponent and lying about her actions under oath. Her seven misdemeanor charges and two felony charges called [NYT report] for a maximum sentence of 12 to 24 years incarceration. Kane pleaded for probation or house arrest, asking the judge to consider the well-being of her children and the loss of her career and law license. Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy, however, stated that a jail sentence must be imposed to show the seriousness her crimes. Kane was released on bail [AP report] shortly after her sentence and expressed her intention to file an appeal.

Kane, 49, was elected in 2012, becoming the first Democrat and the first woman to become attorney general since the post became elective in 1980. In February Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court refused [JURIST report] to reinstate Kane’s law license while investigations proceeded into her alleged leak of grand jury materials. In August of 2015 prosecutors filed criminal charges [JURIST report] against her for allegedly leaking grand jury documents to the media to embarrass a critic, and then giving false testimony to a grand jury to cover up her actions. In May 2015 a state judge appointed a Special Prosecutor to investigate allegations that statewide, confidential grand jury information may have been leaked to the media. After a seven-month investigation, the investigating grand jury recommended criminal charges against Kane. A criminal complaint [text, PDF] had also been filed against one of Kane’s aids. Kane previously refused to resign, claiming that a resignation would be an admission of guilt.