How does this all end?
That’s the question many Pennsylvanians are asking themselves when it comes to the Kathleen Kane saga.
In the past week, Kane has been charged on eight counts and formally arraigned.
All the while, the Attorney General maintains she won’t resign.
In response, Democrats are urging her to step down and pitching themselves as replacements while Republicans are bringing up impeachment.
Given the unpredictability of the AG and the multitude of possible outcomes, we decided to ask our readers what they think is the most likely result.
How will Attorney General Kathleen Kane Leave Office?
- She’ll resign (26%)
- She’ll be convicted in court (16%)
- She’ll be impeached (15%)
- She won’t run for re-election, but will serve out her term (14%)
- She’ll run for re-election, win a second term and leave office vindicated (12%)
- She’ll run for re-election, lose the Democratic primary but serve out her term (11%)
- She’ll run for re-election, lose the Democratic primary then resign (5%)
- She’ll run for re-election, win the Democratic nomination but lose the general election (2%)
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23 Responses
The thread of this discussion continues on another PoliticsPa page:
https://www.politicspa.com/kane-faces-possible-law-license-suspension/68376/#comments
It would seem plausible that the Supremes could be prompted to act [presumably, after some sort of an internal process, perhaps a closed hearing].
Diano, great theory, except Risa Ferman did her own independent investigation and did not rely on the original grand jury. So her process is completely distinct from the “kangaroo court” you describe. Even Democrat John Morganelli, who supported Kane when she ran, just told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that the press conference was pointless because the porn emails have nothing to do with the charges against Kane.
Porn Emails-
She seemed to be saying that the entire effort has been an abuse of the court to intimate her and suppress the emails.
If that were true, then the entire grand jury and her testimony should be thrown out, especially if the judge or prosecutor or the DA has any involvement, or was involved in leaking testimony to pressure her.
Maybe some of the witnesses against her are involved in those emails. This would give them motivation to lie about Kane and call their testimony into question.
If the court was/is a kangaroo court, then nothing that comes from it can be valid.
I suppose anything is possible, but that does nothing to defend her against the charges. She gets a different judge and gets convicted.
Porn Emails-
Maybe Carpenter is one of the people with porn emails? That would be a conflict of interest.
Diano, do you seriously think that porn emails have anything to do with the specific perjury and related charges? Kane’s own inner circle has testified against her. And all she can come up with is a conspiracy of people who don’t like her? That’s what got her into trouble in the first place.
Why won’t Carpenter release the emails? What’s he hiding? Who is he covering for?
PORN EMAILS!! Never mind that she lied to a grand jury, Kane is invoking the defense of PORN EMAILS!! How completely laughable.
everbuddy who sez cathrine kane a crook aint know what they sayin. I know kane for 11 yeers from her time in lakwanna countie and she aint never dun nothing elegall she gonna be genral attrnoney for anuther 10 yrs.
Sklaroff, Stilp filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Board. There are usually hearings involved with those proceedings, which take much longer to get to a final decision by the Supreme Court than the rarely-used no-hearing route suggested by Castille. I just don’t see the Court under Chief Justice Saylor getting involved like it would have under Castille.
Or will it end like a Three Stooges episode with Curly, Larry, and Moe running out of town to avoid some impending calamity?
not so fast…
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/29760760/activist-files-complaint-seeking-to-force-kane-out-as-ag
“A citizen activist wants state court officials to suspend the law license of Kathleen Kane and force her to step down as Pennsylvania’s attorney general….Gene Stilp asked the state Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board to investigate the allegations that prompted criminal charges against Kane last week….If disciplinary action is recommended, it would be up to the high court to decide whether to suspend Kane’s law license. The state constitution requires the attorney general to hold a law license.”
[Jus’ wundrin’….]
Sklaroff, no, the Court would not hold a hearing if it invokes the emergency procedure cited by Castille. In an exceedingly rare moment of clarity, Diano correctly noted that the Court is unlikely to wade into this mess. The Court does not want to appear political and they see that Kane is going down in the criminal proceeding. So, let the process play out.
Query.
Could the Supreme Court hold a hearing regarding this case?
They aren’t going to take away her license before a trial.
Yeah, I just assume the SC will suspend her license in the next couple weeks.
You left out one of the more plausible options…the state Supreme Court strips her of her law license which forces her from office.
Also, I left out: hung jury vs outright acquittal vs conviction on only the minor charges.
Larry-
The choices about her running for re-election have the implication of vindicated or dropping perjury or winning on the perjury charge.
I’m sure if you were running the poll, you’d make one of the choices: “cuffs”
But, a fair poll, with the presumption of innocence, should have that as a choice.
Blaze of glory.
David Diano, and anyone else choosing “vindicated,” must have access to some powerful drugs.
You’ve left out: She’ll be vindicated in court
and
She’ll beat the major charges or they’ll get dropped.
and
plea bargain to lesser charges that would allow her to stay in office.
Could the case stretch out to the primary?
The choices should really be restricted to the outcome of the case, and the choices are not mutually exclusive, as she could resign and still be convicted in court. Or is the poll implying that if she resigned, they’d drop the charges and not convict her in court?
All in all, this is a poorly thought out set of choices. I recommend a rethink and a better set.