Supreme Court Justice Shouldn't Have to Recuse from Death Penalty Cases, Philadelphia Prosecutors Argue

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is arguing to the U.S. Supreme Court that a former member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court did not need to recuse himself from hearing death penalty cases that he signed off on as the city's top prosecutor, The Legal Intelligencer's Lizzy McLellan reports.

In the appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, former Pennsylvania Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille approved the decision to pursue the death penalty for Terrance Williams, and he heard Williams' appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed a lower court order granting Williams post-conviction sentencing relief.