Judge sent to prison despite cancer treatments
A former suburban Philadelphia judge has been sent to prison, ending her efforts to avoid incarceration while she is treated for breast cancer.
Sixty-year-old Rita Jo Ann Arnold was sentenced in October 2013 to 16 to 32 months in state prison, more than double the term under state sentencing guidelines.
The former Chester County district judge was convicted of obstruction of justice and records tampering after authorities said she concealed a harassment citation against her son.
A Philadelphia judge hearing the case denied motions Thursday to overturn the sentence. Arnold was then taken into custody and taken to Chester County prison.
Defense attorney A. Charles Peruto Jr. said his client was “very, very upset, mostly because of her health issues,” and feared she wouldn’t get proper treatment in prison.
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