PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia judge known for her compassion, mentorship, and efficiency died earlier this month after a battle with cancer. But her legacy of advocating for women in the criminal justice system endures.
Judge Barbara McDermott was a homicide judge in Philadelphia for more than a decade, handling some high-profile cases, including police-involved shootings, as well as numerous juvenile life resentencings. She was both a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.
“So fair. I think that she was one of the homicide judges that both sides were very willing to do waiver trials in front of because they knew that she was going to give a fair outcome and whatever that meant to her, but we trusted her judgment,” said former homicide prosecutor Chesley Lightsey, who is now a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge.
“She was super efficient. I actually sort of laughed when I read the first line of her obituary, which said something to the effect of ‘Heaven is a much more well-run, efficient organization now.’”
McDermott, who was a mentor to many young lawyers and judges, also served on several judicial committees and was a regional district director for the National Association of Women Judges, as well as an avid supporter of open, public courtrooms and journalists.
“She felt like it was part of her job as a female judge to bring women together to talk about issues, or just to create friendships on the bench, just because the bench can be very isolating, because it has to be,” Lightsey said.
Additionally, and most importantly to her, she was a wife, mother and grandmother. She was 71.
Barbara McDermott died earlier this month after a battle with cancer
Barbara McDermott died earlier this month after a battle with cancer
