Philadelphia Judge Joseph C. Waters Jr. Pleads Guilty to Federal Corruption Charges

[UPDATE] According to an information (read the full document below) released by the U.S. Department of Justice, as expected, former municipal court judge Joseph C. Waters, who resigned his position yesterday, has pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and honest services wire fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office issued the following release:

“Joseph C. Waters, Jr., 61, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to using his judicial position to influence the outcome of two cases in the Philadelphia Municipal Court, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Waters, a former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge, pleaded guilty to an information charging mail fraud and honest services wire fraud.

“According to documents filed in the case, on September 30, 2011, Waters was asked by Person #1 – a politically active business owner – to use his judicial office to achieve a favorable outcome in a small claims case filed in Philadelphia Municipal Court against Person #1’s real estate management company. To that end, Waters called two other Municipal Court judges, assigned to the case on different dates, and asked them to rule in Person #1’s favor. A Municipal Court Judge identified in the information as Judge #2 ultimately adjudicated the case in favor of Person #1 after Waters told Judge #2 “he’s a friend of mine.” The information charges that Judge #2’s ruling in favor of Person #1’s company prevented the plaintiff in the small claims case, Company B, from collecting $2733 in unpaid fees owed to it for security services it delivered to Person #1’s company.

“Waters admitted today that he gave Person #1 a secret advantage through a series of secret ex parte communications with other Municipal Court judges scheduled to hear the small claims case and used his position to cause favorable rulings for Person #1.

“The information outlined a second scheme in which Waters used his position as a judge to facilitate a favorable outcome in a criminal firearms case. According to the information, Person #1 urged a witness cooperating with the government, “CW#1,” to contribute money to help pay down debts Waters had incurred while campaigning for a position on the Municipal Court. In January 2010, CW#1, gave Waters $1,000 in cash. The information charged that, in accepting the money, Waters told CW#1 that he would help CW#1 with future problems that CW#1 or CW#1’s friends may encounter in the court system. The information further alleged that between 2010 and 2012, CW#1 provided gifts and cash contributions to Waters that were not reported on Waters’ campaign finance reporting forms.

“In May 2012, CW#1 asked Waters for his assistance with a firearms prosecution pending in the Municipal Court. CW#1 introduced Waters to an undercover agent (“UC#1”) as a business associate. CW#1 and UC#1 asked Waters to help UC #1’s “cousin” who had been arrested for felony possession of a firearm. On July 23, 2012, Waters called Judge #1 alerting Judge #1 to the preliminary hearing of a “friend” for the firearms charge and asked Judge #1 to “help him.” According to the information, at a July 24, 2012 preliminary hearing, Judge #1, without proper legal basis, reduced the felony firearms charge to a misdemeanor.

“U.S. District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 22, 2015. Waters faces a maximum statutory sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

“The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Chief of the Public Corruption Unit Richard P. Barrett and Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.”

[ORIGINAL] Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Joseph C. Waters Jr. abruptly resigned on Tuesday. The Inquirer says it has the inside story:

“Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Joseph C. Waters Jr., who has been under federal investigation for more than a year, has agreed to plead guilty to charges that he accepted illegal cash payments and fixed cases, people familiar with the plea negotiations said.”

Waters sent out a short resignation note yesterday, and did not mention a forthcoming plea. He was first elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2011, and was formerly a captain in the Philadelphia Police Department. More on this as it develops.

[Inquirer | The Legal Intelligencer]

Read the full information below: