Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille said Wednesday a recently published book, The Quiet Don by Matt Birkbeck, contains a misleading and incomplete portrayal of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s consideration of cases related to implementation of the Commonwealth’s Gaming Act.
In a detailed response, Chief Justice Castille outlines the process the court followed in hearing cases cited by Birkbeck.
“The book in question provides a well-known account of a northeast Pennsylvania crime syndicate, but also attempts to weave assertions of impropriety on the part of this court that are not remotely supported by facts,” Chief Justice Castille said.
“There is no doubt that Mr. Birkbeck failed to fully research and understand the legal process about which he writes. Consequently, his narrative falls so far short of a complete story as to merit comment.
“Facts matter and misinterpretation of facts can be damaging to the trust that is necessary to sustain our court system. As the response details, this court’s handling of cases in question was nothing but straight forward.”
Click Here for a copy of the detailed response.
