Avenue to suspend Kane’s law license could spark legal fight

    With Attorney General Kathleen Kane battling criminal charges and increasingly isolated from Pennsylvania’s legal and law enforcement communities, many eyes have turned to whether the state’s highest court will invoke a rarely-used sanction to quickly suspend her law license.

    It is uncharted territory.

    The state Constitution requires an attorney general to be a member of the bar. If her license is suspended, it could lead to a legal battle over her status as the state’s top law enforcement officer.

    Administrative Office for the Pennsylvania Courts spokesman Jim Koval says if Kane is suspended, she’s not removed from office.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Muddying the picture, the constitution grants the Legislature power to impeach an executive branch official, rather than the courts, lawyers say.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal