Bruce Castor

Last updated

Bruce Castor
Bruce Castor.png
Castor presenting at Donald Trump's impeachment trial in 2021
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Acting
August 17, 2016 –August 31, 2016

After serving stints beginning in 1981 with, respectively, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, the Northampton County (PA) District Attorney's Office, as an LBJ Congressional Scholar (Washington, DC) and defending Federal prisoners at FCI-Alderson (WV), Castor began his professional career as an assistant district attorney in 1985 before becoming district attorney of Montgomery County from 2000 to 2008. He next took a seat on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, an elected position he held until January 4, 2016, when he was succeeded by Joe Gale. Castor was defeated for re-election as Montgomery County's District Attorney in November 2015. Castor completed a nearly three-year term as a special assistant district attorney of Centre County, Pennsylvania on December 31, 2017, followed by an appointment as a special assistant district attorney of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania on January 6, 2018. On March 29, 2016, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Castor's appointment (back-dated to March 21, when he actually took office) to the newly created position of Solicitor General of Pennsylvania. [5] While he operated freely as the de facto Attorney General and was widely recognized as such, Castor formally became the state's Acting Attorney General, replacing Kane, who resigned on August 17, 2016, following a conviction of a third degree felony perjury charge and several related misdemeanors. [6] [7] Governor Tom Wolf later nominated Bruce Beemer to fulfill the remaining balance of Kane's term which expired in January 2017. Castor is the cousin of Steve Castor, who represented Trump during his first impeachment.

Career

Montgomery County District Attorney

Castor at a press conference with Jim Gerlach and Joe Durante in 2007 Gerlach Supports Death Penalty for Cop Killers.jpg
Castor at a press conference with Jim Gerlach and Joe Durante in 2007

After serving in the office since 1985, Castor was twice elected district attorney for Montgomery County, in which he is a lifelong resident, assuming office in January 2000. [8] After his second term ended, he was succeeded by Risa Vetri Ferman. When she sought (and won) election as judge in November 2015, Castor sought to return to that office, but lost to Ferman's first assistant, Kevin Steele, who ran an 11th-hour campaign contending Castor should have charged entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005. [9] Castor countered that Steele could have arrested Cosby himself in the intervening years if he believed credible evidence existed to do so. A week before the election, Andrea Constand, who had accused Cosby of sexual assault in Montgomery County, sued Castor, claiming he defamed her by intimating she was not credible. [10] The Washington Post said that this suit contributed to Castor's defeat. [11] In November 2017, Castor sued Constand and her lawyers for defamation, charging that the lawsuit and its timing were retaliatory and ruined his political career. [12] In 2017, Cosby stood trial, but the trial ended in a hung jury with jurors unable to agree on Cosby's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, as Castor had predicted in 2005 would happen if he had elected to charge Cosby. However at Cosby's retrial he was convicted on all three counts and he was sentenced to serve 3 to 10 years in prison. After two years of time served the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the sentence, ruling that Castor's pledge to not prosecute Cosby was binding on all other prosecutors.

Notable cases

  • Bill Cosby – Castor declined to prosecute Cosby for sexual assault in 2005 after he found "insufficient, credible and admissible evidence exists upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt". [13] In November 2014 and through the November 2015 election, Castor's decision was heavily criticized, especially when other women came forward to accuse Cosby. Castor, however, assessed that none of these women known to him at the time would have been allowed to testify, making them legally irrelevant to the question of whether Castor should have arrested Cosby. [14] [15] On December 30, 2015, with the statute of limitations about to expire, Cosby was charged with felony sexual assault. [16] At a preliminary hearing on February 2, 2016, Castor testified that he made a promise to never prosecute Cosby for the incident, but Judge Steven T. O'Neill ruled that the promise was not legally binding on the current district attorney, and ordered that the criminal case proceed. [17] O'Neill further found that only Castor's word and no other evidence supported his contention and that the deal had never been memorialized in writing, and Castor was ultimately not a credible witness. [18] O'Neill's ruling was reversed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on June 30, 2021, which held that Castor's non-prosecution pledge was in fact binding on Cosby's prosecutor; this ruling resulted in the overturning of Cosby's conviction and his release from prison. [19]
  • Dillon Cossey – Planned a Columbine-style attack on a local high school. Cossey was convicted in juvenile court. [20] [21]
  • John Eichinger – The most prolific arrested serial killer documented in Montgomery County history. Eichinger murdered three young women and a small child. Two of the women had rejected his sexual advances and the other woman and child were witnesses. Eichinger received three death sentences and one sentence of life in prison. The case formed the basis for the production of a demo video for a proposed television show based on Castor's career called "Probable Cause," written and produced in 2007 by then Times Herald reporter Keith Phucas in Norristown, Pennsylvania.[ citation needed ]
  • Caleb Fairley – Fairley sexually assaulted and murdered a mother and her child in his parents' shop, earning a double life sentence. [22] The case was the first time DNA evidence was used to convict a killer in Montgomery County. The Fairley case formed the basis for the book Vampire Trap by Katherine Ramsland. [23] Castor is featured on the episode of Forensic Files ("Shopping Spree") devoted to the case.
  • Bruce Godschalk – Godschalk was convicted of rape in 1987 (before Castor was elected) and was freed in 2002 after DNA tests cast doubt on his guilt. Castor had fought against DNA testing, arguing that Godschalk did not have the legal right to it. [24] [25] Godschalk filed a lawsuit against the county, which was settled for approximately $1 million. In 2009, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in a similar case that convicts did not have a constitutional right to DNA testing. [26]
  • Craig Rabinowitz – Rabinowitz murdered his wife, Stefanie Newman, for the life insurance money to pay debts arising from a pyramid scheme, and to leave him free to pursue his obsession with a stripper. The case was front-page news for months and became the subject of multiple television programs and a book by Ken Englade called Everybody's Best Friend. He pleaded guilty to first degree murder and is serving a life sentence. [27] [28]
  • Rafael Robb – Robb, a University of Pennsylvania professor of Game Theory, was accused of murdering his wife in a rage. Pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 5–10 years in prison, a sentence many believe was too lenient, with Castor arguing for a 20-year prison term. [29]
  • Guy Sileo – Sileo murdered his business partner in the General Wayne Inn, serving a life sentence for first degree murder. A highly circumstantial case, the "General Wayne Inn murder" has been the subject of numerous television portrayals. [23]

Attorney General race

Castor ran for the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania Attorney General in 2004 against Republican Tom Corbett. Furious that he had lost endorsements of the southeastern GOP chairmen, Castor attacked Corbett and the county chairmen with allegations of backroom deals with Bob Asher, [30] the state's national GOP committeeman. [31] [32] Castor and Asher had feuded for several years due to Asher's prior felony convictions for perjury, bribery, racketeering, and conspiracy in 1986 in the context of a political corruption scandal which also involved the State Treasurer, R. Budd Dwyer, leading to Dwyer's committing suicide at a press conference before his sentencing. Asher had been state GOP Chair during the scandal and was convicted for participating in the bribery of Dwyer. Asher's criminal past, connected to a political bribery scheme while he was the Republican state chair, became a subject of the campaign for the state's top law enforcement post. [31] [33]

Castor was unable to produce proof of any conspiracy against him and ran without the party endorsement in all but two counties, his home base in Montgomery County and Monroe County. Castor lost 52.8% to 47.2%, despite winning overwhelmingly the same southeastern counties whose chairmen had repudiated him, and his home in Montgomery County, where he took nearly 82.5% of the vote. [34] [35]

Private practice

When his term as district attorney expired in January 2008, Castor took a position at the litigation firm of Elliott, Greenleaf & Siedzikowski in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania as a shareholder and director. One of his notable clients was professional basketball player Marko Jaric of the Memphis Grizzlies, who was accused of sexual assault in Philadelphia. Jaric was not charged in the case. [36] In 2009, Castor represented Mark Sargent, who was investigated (but not charged) for patronizing a brothel while he served as dean of the Villanova University School of Law. [37] In 2010, Castor represented his former boss, attorney Michael D. Marino, whose nephew accidentally shot and killed a man while hunting. [38] Marino, a former Montgomery County D.A., was present when the shooting occurred, despite knowing that his nephew was prohibited from owning and using firearms, owing to a felony conviction. [38] Marino was not charged in the case. On July 1, 2013, Castor joined the law firm of Rogers & Associates (subsequently renamed Rogers Castor) as a civil-litigation lawyer in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, with former Lower Merion Commissioner and former Republican state senate nominee, Lance Rogers. Castor and Rogers Castor, renamed as Rogers Counsel, parted ways on December 31, 2020, and Bruce J Castor joined the personal injury law firm of van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim. [39] In 2017, Castor led the investigation into the Death of Tim Piazza at Pennsylvania State University. [40]

Montgomery County commissioner

In 2007, Castor challenged incumbent County Commissioner Tom Ellis, a one-time friend who had chaired Castor's campaigns in 1999 and 2003 but endorsed Corbett in 2004. [41] Early in the campaign, Castor commissioned a poll showing that Ellis, who had been hobbled by negative press surrounding alleged domestic violence incidents, would lose in a general election. [42] Ellis released his own poll to try to refute Castor's charges that he was unelectable. [43] In a six candidate field, Castor won the party endorsement on the first ballot, but his preferred running mate, former State Representative Melissa Murphy Weber, was narrowly defeated by incumbent Jim Matthews on the second ballot.

Initially, Castor was reluctant to run with Matthews saying he believed Matthews was "untrustworthy." However, amid widespread pressure that he would be splitting the party, Castor relented and ran with Matthews against former Democratic Congressman Joe Hoeffel and incumbent commissioner Ruth Damsker in the general election. [44] During the campaign, some of Castor's earlier criticism of Matthews was raised by the Democrats, including financial support to Matthews from Bob Asher. Over Castor's objections who would not accept funds from a convicted felon, Matthews set up a separate campaign account from the Matthews/Castor account in order to collect contributions from Asher. [45] On election day, Castor won, taking first place in the general election setting an electoral record at the time for the position. His running mate placed third, giving the GOP control of the commission. This was the first time in at least 140 years that a Republican failed to capture both the first and the second spot. Castor and Matthews served with Hoeffel, who finished second. [46] It was immediately a rocky relationship with all Castor's earlier predictions about Matthews being "untrustworthy" coming true. Matthews and Hoeffel sided against Castor shutting him out of setting county policy. Castor responded by repeatedly making allegations of corruption against his fellow commissioners charging mismanagement of county finances, the hiring of unqualified people, and in the conduct of county business. A subsequent grand jury report found questionable behavior on Hoeffel's part for his participation in discussing county business at private breakfast meetings held with Matthews and senior aides–an alleged violation of state "sunshine" laws. However, unlike Matthews, who was later arrested for allegedly perjuring himself while testifying to the grand jury, [47] Hoeffel was never charged with criminal wrongdoing. [48] [49] Nevertheless, Matthews and Hoeffel were unable to achieve endorsement for re-election and dropped out of the race, while GOP voters easily re-nominated Castor who was thus vindicated in his allegations of government corruption and mismanagement by Hoeffel and Matthews.

On November 8, 2011, St. Rep. Josh Shapiro, Whitemarsh Twp. Supervisor Leslie Richards, and Castor were elected, marking the first time in county history Democrats controlled two of the three seats on the Board of Commissioners. [50] Shapiro was elected chairman unanimously on nomination from Castor. All three members of the commission later noted the improved level of civility and functionality on the board, with Castor expressing pride in working with Shapiro and Richards whom he considered "honest." [51] The relationship amongst the three commissioners later prompted one columnist of The Philadelphia Inquirer to note that she owed Castor an apology for considering his complaints about the prior county administration "sour grapes". [52] On November 3, 2015, Castor was defeated in his effort to return to the district attorney's post and Joe Gale was elected to succeed Castor as county commissioner. Upon retiring from county service after 30 years on January 4, 2016, Castor began practicing law full-time as a trial lawyer.

Solicitor general and acting attorney general

On March 21, 2016, Castor took the oath of office as the first Solicitor General of Pennsylvania. Being summoned to her Scranton office by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane on March 4, 2016, without explanation, Castor met General Kane expecting her to request him to represent her in a private capacity[ citation needed ]. Instead, Kane offered him the newly created position of Solicitor General of Pennsylvania (later merged into the job of first deputy attorney general)[ citation needed ], and Castor accepted. The move was necessitated because the Attorney General had her license to practice law suspended by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Castor was supposedly subordinate to Kane in all matters except for making legal decisions on behalf of Pennsylvania, though most observers considered him the de facto attorney general, a fact later confirmed upon Kane's resignation. In practice, Castor operated as a bridge between Kane and the remainder of the office of attorney general, in addition to being the final word on legal matters, in order to make the executive portion of the office function properly.

However, following Democrat Kathleen Kane's sudden resignation, Republican Castor was sworn in as Acting Attorney General of Pennsylvania, no longer simply de facto attorney general, though later that week Democratic Governor Tom Wolf nominated Democratic Inspector General Bruce Beemer to serve the remainder of Kane's term. The Pennsylvania Senate confirmed the nomination quickly. [53] After Castor assumed the office of Acting Attorney General, he was the subject of criticism, [54] and on August 30, 2016, Bruce Beemer succeeded Castor as attorney general. Castor resigned from the office of attorney general on September 9, 2016, reverting to first deputy attorney general and, finally, solicitor general.

Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump

On January 31, 2021, Castor was appointed to take the lead for Donald J. Trump's defense team for his 2021 impeachment trial, alongside criminal law practitioner David Schoen. [4] Castor's opening arguments on February 9, 2021, were widely reported to be confusing and rambling, [55] [56] [57] and famously included the statement "Nebraska, you’re going to hear, is quite a judicial thinking place" [58] that became an online meme. [59] Trump was reportedly "furious" about Castor's "rambling, almost somnambulant defense." [60] Texas Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn commented, "The president's lawyer just rambled on and on" and "I've seen a lot of lawyers and a lot of arguments, and that was not one of the finest I've seen." [55] Castor for his part suggested the former president did not criticize his performance. "Far from it," he said. [61]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Hoeffel</span> American politician (born 1950)

Joseph Merrill Hoeffel III is an American author and politician. A Democrat, Hoeffel was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005, representing Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district. He also served multiple terms on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, and from 1977–84, was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A native of Philadelphia, he is a graduate of Boston University and Temple University School of Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006, and included the races for the governor of Pennsylvania and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Incumbent Democratic governor Ed Rendell successfully ran for re-election. Pennsylvania's first female lieutenant governor, Catherine Baker Knoll, was also running for re-election.

James R. Matthews is an American politician from the state of Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, and was the unsuccessful 2006 Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania as Lynn Swann's running mate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon D. Fox</span> American politician

Jon D. Fox was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1985 to 1992 before being elected to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners (1992–1995). His final political role was as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania between 1995 and 1999.

Robert B. Asher is an American political figure and businessman from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He is the co-chairman of the board of directors of Asher's Chocolates in Pennsylvania and also served as Pennsylvania's committeeman on the Republican National Committee by appointment in 1998 by Governor Tom Ridge. He was a member of the 2016 Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Shapiro</span> Governor of Pennsylvania since 2023

Joshua David Shapiro is an American lawyer and politician who is the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2023 and was on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2012 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewart Greenleaf</span> American politician (1939–2021)

Stewart John Greenleaf Sr. was an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1979 to 2019. Greenleaf represented the 12th District, which includes portions of eastern Montgomery County and southern Bucks County.

Susan Peikes Gantman was a senior judge and president judge emeritus of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She has been described by historians as "a tireless advocate on behalf of children and other victims of abuse."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas J. Ellis</span> American politician

Thomas Jay "Tom" Ellis is a Pennsylvania public finance attorney. He served several terms as county commissioner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, one of the largest counties in Pennsylvania, before being dropped from the ticket during an intra-party feud. An ally of controversial Republican National Committeeman Bob Asher, he is a prominent figure in the Pennsylvania Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Kane</span> Pennsylvania politician

Kathleen Margaret Kane is an American former politician and lawyer who served as the attorney general of Pennsylvania from 2013 until her resignation in 2016, following her conviction for perjury, obstruction of justice, and related charges for illegal activities while she was attorney general. She was the first woman and first Democrat ever elected to the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Dean</span> American politician (born 1959)

Madeleine Dean Cunnane is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, a suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a northeastern portion of Berks County. Before being elected to Congress, Dean was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing the 153rd district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Costello</span> American politician (born 1976)

Ryan Anthony Costello is an American politician, lobbyist and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the Congress in the 2014 midterms. Costello previously served on the Chester County Board of Commissioners (2011–2015), which he chaired from 2013 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Risa Vetri Ferman</span> American lawyer

Risa Vetri Ferman is the judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and was formerly District Attorney of the same county. After working for 15 years in the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, in November 2007, she became the first woman elected District Attorney in Montgomery County. In 2011, Ferman won re-election and began her second term as District Attorney in January 2012. She is the daughter of Barbara and Sal Vetri, and sister of restaurateur Marc Vetri and television director and producer Adam Vetri.

<i>Andrea Constand v. Bill Cosby</i> 2005 lawsuit in Pennsylvania

Andrea Constand v. William H. Cosby, Jr. is a civil suit filed in federal court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in March 2005 and resolved with an undisclosed cash settlement in November 2006. It was later revealed that the amount paid to Constand was $3.38 million. The case was filed by Andrea Constand, a former college and Canadian national team basketball player, against comedian and entertainer Bill Cosby, concerning a sexual assault that occurred in Cosby's home in January 2004 while Constand was working for Temple University women's basketball team in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At that time, no criminal charges were filed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill McSwain</span> American attorney (born 1969)

William Miller McSwain is an American attorney and a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, a position he held from April 6, 2018 to January 22, 2021. He was nominated to the post by President Donald Trump. After leaving his position as U.S. Attorney, McSwain entered private practice at Duane Morris LLP. He then ran, unsuccessfully, for the Republican nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 after which he again returned to private practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. Democratic state attorney general Josh Shapiro defeated Republican state senator Doug Mastriano to win his first term in office. Shapiro succeeded Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf, who was term limited.

Stephen R. Castor is an American trial attorney who served as minority counsel in the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. Castor has been a congressional staff member in the House Oversight Committee since 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump</span> 2021 trial in the US Senate

The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, began on February 9, 2021, and concluded with his acquittal on February 13. Donald Trump had been impeached for the second time by the House of Representatives on January 13, 2021. The House adopted one article of impeachment against Trump: incitement of insurrection. He is the only U.S. president and only federal official to be impeached twice. He was impeached by the House seven days prior to the expiration of his term and the inauguration of Joe Biden. Because he left office before the trial, this was the first impeachment trial of a former president. The article of impeachment addressed Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and stated that Trump incited the attack on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., while Congress was convened to count the electoral votes and certify the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Val Arkoosh</span> American physician, academic, and politician

Valerie A. Arkoosh is an American anesthesiologist and politician who is the current secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, serving since 2023. Arkoosh was formerly the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2016 to 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Pennsylvania state reports - Volume 591, 2007
  2. ↑ Hubbell, Martindale (April 1997). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota (Volume 14 - 1997). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN   9781561602223.
  3. ↑ Hubbell, Martindale (December 1, 2016). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory 2017: Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN   9781603663861.
  4. 1 2 Acosta, Jim; Collins, Kaitlan; Brown, Pamela; Polantz, Katelyn (February 1, 2021). "Trump names two new lawyers for impeachment trial a day after his defense team collapsed". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  5. ↑ Angela Couloumbis and Jeremy Roebuck (March 30, 2016). "A.G. Kane hires Castor as a top aide". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  6. ↑ Couloumbis, Angela; McCoy, Craig R. (August 16, 2016). "Attorney General Kathleen Kane to resign". Philadelphia Media Network . Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  7. ↑ Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Kathleen Granahan Kane (2015) CP-46-CR-0006239-2015
  8. ↑ Marcovitz, Hal (January 3, 2000). "County Commissioners, Others to be Sworn In". The Allentown Morning Call. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
  9. ↑ Savage, Charlie (February 8, 2021). "Who Are David Schoen and Bruce Castor, Trump's Impeachment Trial Lawyers?". The New York Times. The former president's defense team brings together an Alabama civil rights and criminal defense lawyer and a former Pennsylvania prosecutor best known for not charging Bill Cosby.
  10. ↑ McCrystal, Laura; Parks, Jessica (November 3, 2015). "Steele tops Castor in contentious Montco D.A. race". inquirer.com.
  11. ↑ Moyer, Justin Wm. (February 4, 2016). "The prosecutor undone by a 'secret agreement' with Bill Cosby". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Former Pennsylvania district attorney sues Cosby accuser for alleged defamation". ABC News. November 3, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  13. ↑ "CNN.com - Prosecutors end Cosby investigation - Feb 22, 2005". www.cnn.com.
  14. ↑ "Bill Cosby accuser files lawsuit against Montco DA candidate Bruce Castor". 6abc Philadelphia. October 27, 2015.
  15. ↑ "A Pennsylvania Election Reached A Flash Point Over Bill Cosby". November 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Bill Cosby Is Charged With Felony Sex Crime Over 2004 Case". npr.org. NPR. December 30, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  17. ↑ Chris Mondics (February 5, 2016). "Legal observers puzzled by Castor no-prosecute pledge". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ Pa. Republicans are stumped by Trump’s pick of Bruce Castor for his impeachment defense, Philadelphia Inquirer , Remy Roebuck, Andrew Seidman and Laura McCrystal, February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ McCrystal, Laura (June 30, 2021). "Bill Cosby's release from prison again shines a light on Bruce Castor. And Castor feels 'vindicated.'". Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Dale, MarieClaire (October 26, 2007). "Teen Admits School-Assault Plot". The Oklahoman.
  21. ↑ Dale, MarieClaire (October 26, 2007). "Teen Admits School-Assault Plot". Associated Press, Carried at abcnews.com. Retrieved July 19, 2008.[ dead link ]
  22. ↑ Caleb Fairley Case, Crimelibrary.com Caleb Fairley case at crimelibrary.com Archived July 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  23. 1 2 Families, friends of victims give support to candidate, Pottstown Mercury 4/24/04 Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ "Maurice Possley and Steve Mills, In depth: Crimes go unsolved as DNA profiles not sent to FBI, Chicago Tribune, Reprinted in St. Augustine Record, 10/6/04". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
  25. ↑ Sara Rimer, Convict’s DNA Sways Labs, Not a Determined Prosecutor, The New York Times, Reprinted at www.crimlaw.com, 10/6/02 Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ "Supreme Court denies DNA test to rapist". www.cnn.com.
  27. ↑ Anne Barnard, Steve Ritea and Ralph Vigoda, Rabinowitz Admits Killing Wife - A dream urged him to `do the right thing', The Philadelphia Inquirer , October 10, 1997-10-31.
  28. ↑ Husband guilty of murder - obsession with stripper led to strangulation, Associated Press, 1997-10-31
  29. ↑ "Ex-Penn Professor Pleads Guilty In Wife's Death". cbs3.com. Associated Press. November 27, 2007. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  30. ↑ Gibbons, Margaret (June 4, 2004). "Castor backs Corbett in attorney general race". The Colonial. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  31. 1 2 Patel, Mary (January 22, 2004). "Castor Roiled". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  32. ↑ Erdley, Debra (April 22, 2004). "Most still undecided on Corbett, Castor". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on November 3, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  33. ↑ "Editorial: A rare public dispute in ranks of the GOP". Delco Times. February 6, 2004.[ permanent dead link ]
  34. ↑ "Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results". electionreturns.pa.gov. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007.
  35. ↑ "Corbett, Eisenhower win in attorney general race". old.post-gazette.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  36. ↑ Chris Mannix (March 13, 2009). "Grizzlies' Jaric not charged after probe into alleged sexual assault". Sports Illustrated, SI.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  37. ↑ "Villanova Dean Resigned Over Prostitution". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  38. 1 2 "It took 9 days for former D.A. to come clean on hunter's shooting death, affidavit says - Philly". Philly.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  39. ↑ Mitchell, Max. "Castor Splits With Longtime Firm, Joining Phila. Personal Injury Practice" . Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Prosecutor: Charges likely in deadly fall at Penn State frat". AP NEWS. April 28, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  41. ↑ Shields, Jeff (February 7, 2004). "Castor formalizes run for Montco seat". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  42. ↑ "Poll Commissioned by Castor Campaign" (PDF). PoliticsPA.com . Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2007.
  43. ↑ William Mulgrew (January 31, 2007). "Ellis Backs Candidacy With Poll Numbers". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  44. ↑ William Mulgrew (February 27, 2007). "Montco GOP Tries To Make Up". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  45. ↑ Margaret Gibbons (September 24, 2007). "Dems want Asher money returned". Pottstown Mercury.[ permanent dead link ]
  46. ↑ Jacob Fenton (November 7, 2007). "Montco Republicans are winners". The Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 24, 2008.
  47. ↑ Coughlin, Matt (July 18, 2012). "Ex Montco commissioner to serve probation on false swearing charge, but unrepentant". PhillyBurbs.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  48. ↑ Gibbons, Margaret (May 25, 2012). "Matthews' day in court could come on May 31". PhillyBurbs.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  49. ↑ DeHuff, Jenny (December 6, 2011). "Commissioner Matthews arrested, resigns as chairman". The Times Herald. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  50. ↑ Rawlins, John. "Democrats historically gain control of Montgomery County". Elections. ABC News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  51. ↑ Roebuck, Jeremy (April 16, 2012). "Peace has come to the Montco commission". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  52. ↑ Heller, Karen (March 21, 2012). "Karen Heller: What's great for Montco also bit of a bummer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  53. ↑ "Governor nominates former state prosecutor Beemer to replace Kane". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  54. ↑ McKelvey, Wallace (August 19, 2016). "Everybody hates Bruce Castor, and the acting AG couldn't care less". The Patriot-News . Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  55. 1 2 Broadwater, Luke (February 9, 2021). "'The president's lawyer just rambled on and on.' Trump defense lawyer leaves some senators scratching their heads". The New York Times.
  56. ↑ Rupar, Aaron (February 9, 2021). "Even right-wing pundits had no clue what Bruce Castor was doing during his impeachment trial speech". Vox.
  57. ↑ Chait, Jonathan (February 9, 2021). "Trump's Lawyer Rambles Through Hilariously Incoherent Impeachment Defense". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  58. ↑ "Even right-wing pundits had no clue what Bruce Castor was doing during his impeachment trial speech". Vox. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  59. ↑ "The best memes from Bruce Castor's bizarre impeachment speech". The Independent. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  60. ↑ Haberman, Maggie (February 10, 2021). "Meandering Performance by Defense Lawyers Enrages Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  61. ↑ Levy, Marc (February 12, 2021). "Lawyer defending Trump accustomed to political disaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by Member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
2008–2016
Served alongside: Jim Matthews, Joe Hoeffel, Josh Shapiro, Leslie Richards, Val Arkoosh 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
Michael D. Marino
 District Attorney of Montgomery County
2000–2008		Succeeded by
Preceded by Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Acting
2016		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.