Judge Removed From Sentencing Of A Sex Offender For 2nd Time
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PITTSBURGH (AP) - A judge has been removed for the second time from the sentencing of a sex offender after an appeals court questioned her conduct.
An opinion released Tuesday found Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel sentenced a first-time offender to a six-to-17-year term when guidelines called for a maximum of three years.
It also noted McDaniel didn't allow the man or his lawyer to speak at the sentencing hearing last year, and inappropriately criticized the lawyer.
In a case involving a different defendant, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports McDaniel was ordered removed last month after the court found she demonstrated "bias and personal animus" against the defendant and the public defender's office representing him.
McDaniel has been on the bench since 1985.
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