Justice Eakin is Sorry- Sorry That He Was Caught

Sometimes they tell you all you need to know. Take Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin-

At a hearing Monday on his suspension, Eakin, 67, tearfully apologized for the messages, saying he never intended for them to be made public. The emails were from his private email account, but were captured on government servers because they were exchanged with a friend in the state Attorney General's Office who used his work email.

The justice also blamed "the tabloid press" for sensationalizing the matter and creating a perception that the criminal justice system had been corrupted by the exchange of the crude emails among judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and others.

His judicial opinions over the last two decades, he said, were based on thoughtful reasoning and facts, not biases.

To suspend him, even on a temporary basis, "stains me forever, and legitimizes the process that has led us here," Eakin told the disciplinary court's panel.

Shorter Eakin- I'm sad that I got caught. You should not feel bad for him, as he keeps $203,409 salary while he awaits trial on this matter. Had Eakin not been caught sending pornographic emails, his statement leads me to believe he would not be sorry for having sent them. He's sad basically that his game got outed in public.

Some people would say that we should cut him some slack. We all look at porn, and he's just a human. He should have had some expectation of privacy, right? They agree with Eakin that this has been blown out of proportion.

They are all wrong:

The court also pointed out that Eakin sent and forwarded a number of emails "which were insensitive and inappropriate toward matters involving gender, race, sexual orientation, and ethnicity."

Of particular concern were a series of emails in which Eakin and his friend, a prosecutor in the Attorney General's Office, made lewd references about two of the justice's female staffers, the panel said.

"Clearly these emails, which address judicial employees, are extremely inappropriate and offensive," they wrote.

Not enough for you yet? Here, tell me this is Supreme Court-worthy:

The justice's emails that have been made public contain pictures and videos of topless women, and supposed jokes at the expense of gays, lesbians, feminists, drunken college girls, and, in one instance, nuns.

One mocked Muslim children as suicide bombers, another called Mexicans "beaners," and yet another joked about domestic-assault victims.

Basically, Justice Eakin is a disgusting, repulsive guy, or at least he is some of the time. It is absolutely appropriate that he serve a suspension and be subject to public ridicule for his behavior. Now, with all of that said, you may be surprised that I tell you I don't feel it should be a slam-dunk that he be removed. He was elected by the public, and elections should matter. The key here shouldn't be whether or not this man is a bad guy or not, but rather if his poor judgment carried over to decisions, and whether or not the public should trust his judgment after this. Given that his scandal ties fairly closely to the Attorney General's office, the one that released his emails, the one with whom's office he communicated his pornographic messages to employees in, and the one whom he voted to suspend the law license of, I do believe that Mr. Eakin's judgment is now in question. He has clearly had his ethics compromised, and it's not unreasonable to think his behavior in the Kane situation is tied to his own questionable behavior. There is no way that an enlightened public can trust him anymore.

Again though, he told you- Justice Eakin is sorry he was caught.