Ex-judge gets prison in misconduct case
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WEST CHESTER (AP) – A former Philadelphia-area district judge who pleaded guilty to improper handling of a criminal citation against her son and later trying to conceal her actions has been sentenced to 16 to 32 months in prison.
Former magisterial district judge Rita Arnold pleaded guilty in Chester County to records tampering and obstruction of administration of law.
The Daily Local News of West Chester said 57-year-old Arnold appeared stunned by Tuesday’s sentence, which was much more severe than sentencing guidelines for the second-degree misdemeanors. Her attorney vowed an appeal.
Officials said she had staffers keep a 2010 citation against her son out of the system.
Arnold apologized Tuesday and pleaded for leniency, saying she had had recently undergone a double mastectomy and now had cancer and needed chemotherapy.