Philly legal shenanigans: DA’s cash machine & Traffic Court ticket-fixing

On today’s Radio Times, we look at two recent investigative reports raising questions about two different parts of the legal system in Philadelphia. In the first half of the hour, ISAIAH THOMPSON, who just left the City Paper for the Philadelphia Public Interest News Network, will discuss his investigative report on the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office use of “civil asset forfeiture” against people who are never even charged with a crime. We’ll also get some analysis from Penn Law professor LOUIS RULLI, head of Penn’s pro bono law clinic and an expert on legal advocacy on behalf of the poor. Then, we’ll turn to Traffic Court, where an investigation by former Assistant DA William Chadwick revealed a “two-track” system that allowed the politically connected to avoid fines, insurance increases and lost licenses. Joining us to explain the report and its fallout is the Philadelphia Inquirer investigative reporter who broke the story, CRAIG R. McCOY. And we’ll hear from LYNN MARKS, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, who is calling for reform based on the report’s findings.

Photo by Flickr user Joe Mazzola