Watchdog calls for independent investigation of Family Court project

Committee of 70 says person investigating cannot have ties to the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

A political watchdog group is calling on the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court to take himself out of a controversial project.

The Committee of 70 says Chief Justice Ron Castille should not have selected a friend to investigate problems with the construction of a new Family Court building in Philadelphia. Zack Stalberg is head of the watchdog group and says Justice Castille should completely remove himself from the process after appointing a truly independent investigator

“I think he should get him out of this deal. There is no reason a judge should be supervising the construction of a courthouse. The state has an elaborborate process to do that in a fair and intelligent way. It would be good for the public and good for him if he stepped out of this arrangement.”

Stalberg says the problem is the deal is, in his words, tainted. The co-developer of the project was also advising the state and the court in selecting the site for the new family court building.