My letter to Phila. Bar Assn. director:
Hello Mr. Tarasiewicz,
I am wondering why Judge Karen Simmons has the approval of your organization for re-election. I personally witnessed a day in her joke of a court room. She is an ego-maniac. I am quite sure she cares more about her ego than law, let alone justice. One man translated a sentence into Spanish for her. As a reward, she dismissed his case without even hearing it. Another woman simply asked Judge Simmons to please help her get justice against her abusive ex husband and help prevent him from abusing women so easily in future. Instead of having compassion for the victim, Judge Simmons went on a tirade about how NOBODY knows more about justice than herself and how DARE this women accuse her of not understanding justice. It was totally insane. The victim was not making any such accusation nor speaking improperly nor making any explicit demand. She only asked politely for the court to consider her desire for justice.
And then Judge Simmons dismissed my mother's case and even threatened to put my mother in jail because she had not heard the secuestration instructions. Judge Simmons said altho secuestration was violated, she would still do her job of considering the testimony already heard. Almost the very next thing she said was that my mother and her witness who already gave testimony were no longer credible, and how dare my mother try to ruin the reputation of the young woman (defendent who assaulted her).
Judge Simmons also threatened to throw anyone in jail in the whole room if they said anything at all.
This woman makes a mockery of justice to serve her hyperinflated ego. Google her and you will see how she put a D.A. under arrest for arguing with her in court (the argument was that Judge Simmons' impatience would lead to a murderer going free as she wouldn't wait for the detective to be located in the building). You will also see how she ignorantly declared that Father Andrew McCormick could not be tried on felony charges since his penis did not penetrate the choir boy's clenched teeth. That ruling was overturned, thankfully, on appeal, because she was simply wrong about the law.
I notice she sides with defendents for some reason. She consistently reduced charges against every defendent that day when I was in her court room a few months ago, without giving any justification for doing so.
Please reconsider your support of this renegade, wanna-be "television judge." Meanwhile I will do everything possible before election day and on election day to spread the word about Judge Simmons.
Sincerely,
Joel Rosenblum
P.S. This is a letter from another person who was in the same courtroom the day that I was there, to corroborate my account:
"Her behavior was deeply disturbing as we watched throughout the day. Judges like her, who are really politicians since they are elected, are one of the reasons why Philadelphia is a corrupt city and a dangerous place to be if luck is not on your side - even if the truth is. As I watched her rule on case after case, I had the distinct impression that she had fantasies of herself getting her own judge TV show. She is charismatic, and I'm sure that has gotten her a long way, but she is a dangerous person and I pray that no one else I know ever has to be at her mercy.
For our safety please do not include our email addresses or name if you share this information with others. Vindictive behavior from someone corrupt in the legal system is not something I wish to bring upon my family. " …...more
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