PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Tranquilli has been assigned to administrative duties only, and no longer hearing cases.
President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark handed down the order Thursday morning.
This comes after a complaint was made against Tranquilli making multiple racist remarks about a jury member.
The remarks took place during a closed door meeting with Tranquilli, an assistant district attorney, and defense attorney Joe Otte, who made the complaint.
In the complaint, Otte wrote that Tranquilli showed dissatisfaction with the jury, referring to one of the jury members as "Aunt Jemima" on multiple occasions during the meeting.
Otte went on to point out that the jury member was a black woman wearing a head wrap.
Robert Graci once served on the Judicial Conduct Board and tells KDKA Radio's Lynne Hayes-Freeland if the claim is credible.
"They gather the facts, they interview the people who are in possession of those facts," Graci said. "They have the authority under the constitution and the rules of the board to issue subpoenas."
The Judicial Conduct Board will investigate the incident going forward.
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