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From Walking The Beat To Taking A Seat
One Man’s Unlikely Journey From Philadelphia Cop To Pa. Supreme Court Justice
By AMANDA CONSTANZER, For The Bulletin
Seamus McCaffery’s path to his position as a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice has been anything but ordinary, spanning careers, continents, and the Pennsylvania legal system. Born in Ireland, Justice McCaffery’s parents brought him to America not to be an Irish-American, but to be an American. His dedication and desire to give back to his adoptive homeland lead a young man from a youthful crossroads to the top of the state judicial system.
Mr. McCaffery, speaking at an event co-hosted by the Philadelphia Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society and the Villanova Law School Federalist Society on Oct. 29, told the crowd that he was a wild and crazy kid who could have easily ended up on the opposite side of the bench at which he presides. When Vietnam broke out, he entered the Marine Corps as a private and started out in a new direction. He served with honor, moving up the ranks and changing branches to retire as an Air Force colonel. Mr. McCaffery intended to work as a printer after the service, but a subway poster for the Philadelphia Police Department encouraged him to, instead, “Join Rizzo’s Team.” He quipped that becoming a cop was an easy step for a man who liked guns, shooting, and the Marine Corps.
Life as a police officer gave Mr. McCaffery a desire to help victims and “enamored [him] to the life of a crime fighter.” Wit aside, he promised that working the homicide unit was nothing like the television series “CSI.” He faced victims who tore his lapels in their grief when he delivered bad news, came face-to-face with murderers, and watched a partner die in his arms in the course of duty. For Mr. McCaffery, though, the most disheartening part of law enforcement came not in the streets, but in the courtrooms where judges didn’t know or care about law enforcement and defense attorneys attacked his character. Judges and attorneys hustled to clear the dockets, but Mr. McCaffery saw voiceless victims trampled by the system and set out on a crusade.
Reasoning that he must become a judge in order to make a difference, and that he must become a lawyer to be a judge, Mr. McCaffery attended night school at LaSalle University to earn his bachelor’s, followed by night school at Temple University School of Law, while working full time for the Philadelphia Police and raising three children. He then retired as a police officer and worked briefly as an attorney, entering politics when he was elected to the Philadelphia Municipal Court. As a judge, Mr. McCaffery again saw frustrated victims and an overtaxed legal system, which inspired him to make changes in the reluctant lower level courts and aim for the Superior and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania.
Mr. McCaffery brought a new perspective to the bench with his life experience, but found that the pure law of the Superior Court didn’t help him address the administrative judicial changes he sought. After four years there, Mr. McCaffery successfully ran for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2007.
Ever frank, Mr. McCaffery told the crowd, “I’m electable, not appointable,” and that elections allow the people to select the right people to serve them. He firmly believes he works for the people, and that his job is to know those people and the issues they bring to his court. His goal while serving on the Supreme Court is to institute outside-the-box solutions that aid both victims and defendants.
Mr. McCaffery stated that approximately one-third of Pennsylvania prisoners are incarcerated because they are mentally ill and there aren’t enough mental health facilities to accommodate them. His ameliorative plan of attack includes adding to the 13 current mental health courts, establishing a veteran’s court, and intercepting and rehabilitating the mentally ill who enter the judicial system.
President of the Villanova Law Federalist Society, Sean Philbin, remarked, “Justice McCaffery exemplifies the Federalist mantra that it is the province of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.”
Villanova Law Professor Robert Miller further said the visit was an honor, as “Justice McCaffery’s story is a typically American one, a story about coming to America as the land of opportunity, of rising in society through determination and hard work, and of giving back to society through public service.”
Mr. McCaffery impressed upon the gathering that although he’s serious about the law, he enjoys the hard work and finds humor in life. He will remain famous for instituting Eagles Court in the basement of Veterans Stadium (which also heard the case of a lone Phillies fan during his tenure), but turned down a multimillion-dollar contract as a television judge because he believes in giving back to his country.
He’s been called a “cop in robes,” given his passion for protecting victims, but leaves no room to question his dedication to justice when he counters that he took an oath beyond that of a judge by swearing to uphold and defend the Constitution as a Marine.
Shifting to wit, Mr. McCaffery promised that he wasn’t about to let any cop get away with “Fred Astaire” moves on his watch. He believes there’s no one better to have on the bench than a cop, likening it to needing Jack Nicholson on the wall.
His key to success has been constantly moving forward, but he said he doesn’t feel any need to move beyond the Supreme Court. He told students that this is the top, and they have to read the opinions he hands down.
“I’m on the Supreme Court man, this is cool stuff!”
He claims it doesn’t get any better than this, and quips that his Harvard undergrad and Penn Law-educated wife, the smartest person he knows, still has to call him “Your Honor.”
Mr. McCaffery, speaking at an event co-hosted by the Philadelphia Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society and the Villanova Law School Federalist Society on Oct. 29, told the crowd that he was a wild and crazy kid who could have easily ended up on the opposite side of the bench at which he presides. When Vietnam broke out, he entered the Marine Corps as a private and started out in a new direction. He served with honor, moving up the ranks and changing branches to retire as an Air Force colonel. Mr. McCaffery intended to work as a printer after the service, but a subway poster for the Philadelphia Police Department encouraged him to, instead, “Join Rizzo’s Team.” He quipped that becoming a cop was an easy step for a man who liked guns, shooting, and the Marine Corps.
Life as a police officer gave Mr. McCaffery a desire to help victims and “enamored [him] to the life of a crime fighter.” Wit aside, he promised that working the homicide unit was nothing like the television series “CSI.” He faced victims who tore his lapels in their grief when he delivered bad news, came face-to-face with murderers, and watched a partner die in his arms in the course of duty. For Mr. McCaffery, though, the most disheartening part of law enforcement came not in the streets, but in the courtrooms where judges didn’t know or care about law enforcement and defense attorneys attacked his character. Judges and attorneys hustled to clear the dockets, but Mr. McCaffery saw voiceless victims trampled by the system and set out on a crusade.
Reasoning that he must become a judge in order to make a difference, and that he must become a lawyer to be a judge, Mr. McCaffery attended night school at LaSalle University to earn his bachelor’s, followed by night school at Temple University School of Law, while working full time for the Philadelphia Police and raising three children. He then retired as a police officer and worked briefly as an attorney, entering politics when he was elected to the Philadelphia Municipal Court. As a judge, Mr. McCaffery again saw frustrated victims and an overtaxed legal system, which inspired him to make changes in the reluctant lower level courts and aim for the Superior and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania.
Mr. McCaffery brought a new perspective to the bench with his life experience, but found that the pure law of the Superior Court didn’t help him address the administrative judicial changes he sought. After four years there, Mr. McCaffery successfully ran for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2007.
Ever frank, Mr. McCaffery told the crowd, “I’m electable, not appointable,” and that elections allow the people to select the right people to serve them. He firmly believes he works for the people, and that his job is to know those people and the issues they bring to his court. His goal while serving on the Supreme Court is to institute outside-the-box solutions that aid both victims and defendants.
Mr. McCaffery stated that approximately one-third of Pennsylvania prisoners are incarcerated because they are mentally ill and there aren’t enough mental health facilities to accommodate them. His ameliorative plan of attack includes adding to the 13 current mental health courts, establishing a veteran’s court, and intercepting and rehabilitating the mentally ill who enter the judicial system.
President of the Villanova Law Federalist Society, Sean Philbin, remarked, “Justice McCaffery exemplifies the Federalist mantra that it is the province of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.”
Villanova Law Professor Robert Miller further said the visit was an honor, as “Justice McCaffery’s story is a typically American one, a story about coming to America as the land of opportunity, of rising in society through determination and hard work, and of giving back to society through public service.”
Mr. McCaffery impressed upon the gathering that although he’s serious about the law, he enjoys the hard work and finds humor in life. He will remain famous for instituting Eagles Court in the basement of Veterans Stadium (which also heard the case of a lone Phillies fan during his tenure), but turned down a multimillion-dollar contract as a television judge because he believes in giving back to his country.
He’s been called a “cop in robes,” given his passion for protecting victims, but leaves no room to question his dedication to justice when he counters that he took an oath beyond that of a judge by swearing to uphold and defend the Constitution as a Marine.
Shifting to wit, Mr. McCaffery promised that he wasn’t about to let any cop get away with “Fred Astaire” moves on his watch. He believes there’s no one better to have on the bench than a cop, likening it to needing Jack Nicholson on the wall.
His key to success has been constantly moving forward, but he said he doesn’t feel any need to move beyond the Supreme Court. He told students that this is the top, and they have to read the opinions he hands down.
“I’m on the Supreme Court man, this is cool stuff!”
He claims it doesn’t get any better than this, and quips that his Harvard undergrad and Penn Law-educated wife, the smartest person he knows, still has to call him “Your Honor.”
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