[JURIST] Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court [official website] on Friday refused [opinion, PDF] to reinstate Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s [official website] law license while investigations persist into her alleged leak of grand jury materials. Kane requested that the court reinstate her law license while she fights the charges. In support of reinstatement, Kane argued [AP report] that Justice Michael Eakin should have been prevented from taking part in the vote to suspend her license, due to connections to an email scandal. The court found that Kane failed to seek Eakin’s recusal “at the earliest possible time,” leaving her unable to object to the court’s unanimous September decision at this time.

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 August 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. Last May 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 7 month investigation, the investigating grand jury recommended criminal charges against Kane. A criminal complaint [text, PDF] has also been filed against one of Kane’s aids. Kane has refused to resign, claiming that a resignation would be an admission of guilt.