Allegheny Co. Judge Resigns After Removal From Sex Offender Cases Due To Alleged Bias

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PITTSBURGH (AP) - A longtime Allegheny County judge has resigned in the wake of her removal from two sex offender cases due to alleged bias.

Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel submitted her resignation Thursday.

The 72-year-old served on the bench for 33 years and has been praised for her compassion toward victims of sex crimes.

But twice in the last month the state Superior Court removed McDaniel from sex offenders' sentencing proceedings for allegedly showing bias against the defendants and their attorneys.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports McDaniel wrote in her resignation letter that she was most proud of establishing specialty courts to handle domestic violence and sex crimes cases.

McDaniel served as a deputy public defender and city magistrate before being elected to the Common Pleas bench in 1985.

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