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Who is Wendy Pew, the judge who dismissed charges against ex-Philly police officer Mark Dial?
Philadelphia Inquirer link: https://www.inquirer.com/crime/who-is-judge-wendy-pew-mark-dial-charges-dismissed-20230929.html
The Philadelphia judge who dismissed all charges this week against Mark Dial — the now-former police officer who fatally shot Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop in Kensington — sparked outrage with her decision, with protests erupting in Center City and lawmakers lobbing criticism from City Hall.
But lawyers who have appeared before Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew say the 56-year-old is a generally even-keeled, straightforward judge who has spent more than 20 years on the bench.
She is the daughter of a prominent casino magnate, the late Arthur M. Goldberg, who was president of a company that operated gambling houses under brand names including Bally’s, Caesars, and Hilton. And for a time, Pew was married to a man whose relatives had founded the Sun Oil Co. and the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit policy behemoth....
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The couple divorced in 2013, according to court records. Wendy Pew was represented by attorney Walter McHugh — who is now a partner of Dial’s attorneys, Brian McMonagle and Fortunato Perri Jr. After Pew dismissed charges against Dial, Irizarry’s family expressed concerns about those connections on social media. Several legal experts, however, said they did not believe the situation represented a conflict for Pew.
But lawyers who have appeared before Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew say the 56-year-old is a generally even-keeled, straightforward judge who has spent more than 20 years on the bench.
She is the daughter of a prominent casino magnate, the late Arthur M. Goldberg, who was president of a company that operated gambling houses under brand names including Bally’s, Caesars, and Hilton. And for a time, Pew was married to a man whose relatives had founded the Sun Oil Co. and the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit policy behemoth....
- snip -
The couple divorced in 2013, according to court records. Wendy Pew was represented by attorney Walter McHugh — who is now a partner of Dial’s attorneys, Brian McMonagle and Fortunato Perri Jr. After Pew dismissed charges against Dial, Irizarry’s family expressed concerns about those connections on social media. Several legal experts, however, said they did not believe the situation represented a conflict for Pew.
- more at link -
This ruling is under appeal of course. And there were protests going on in Philadelphia this past week, possibly more this weekend. Whether or not Judge Pew ruled correctly remains to be seen.
