Judiciary
Suspension upheld for former judge accused of pro-Democratic posts
Judge Mark B. Cohen of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was in office from 1974 to 2016. (Photo from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ archives)
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the suspension of a former Philadelphia judge for partisan posts on Facebook, according to PennLive.com.
Former Philadelphia County Judge Mark Cohen was suspended in May 2024 after the Court of Judicial Discipline ruled his Facebook messages violated the Pennsylvania Judicial Canons, which generally are interpreted to forbid sitting judges from making overtly political statements.
In upholding the suspension, the Supreme Court last week ruled Cohen—also a longtime Democratic member of the state House—appeared to be acting like an advocate for the Democratic Party from the bench. The suspension lasted until Dec. 31, 2024—the date of his mandatory retirement from the bench.
Cohen had argued his posts were protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
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