Shargel says Kane’s defense was compromised by a ruling that barred discussion of her investigation of offensive emails found on state computers.
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“We submit to you we have proven this case on each and every charge not beyond a reasonable doubt, but beyond all doubt”, he said. “We will continue this litigation, we will continue this fight because we believe that our client has been wrongfully, wrongfully accused of this conduct”. She was found guilty of felony perjury and several misdemeanors including conspiracy, official oppression and false swearing.
There was physical evidence as well, he said, including texts messages, emails and phone calls between Kane and Morrow.
Kane, who did not testify during the trial and did not offer any comment on the verdict, was whisked out a side door by her security detail. She criticized Kane for leaving her office in chaos to go to Haiti for a week with her sister and other office employees, saying Kane left no one “watching the store”.
Kane has lost her law license over the charges and is not seeking reelection, but under Pennsylvania law she could remain in office as the appeals process plays out.
Steele described Kane’s actions as a war with several casualties, including former Philadelphia NAACP president J. Whyatt Mondesire who died a year ago.
Kane has said she wasn’t sworn to protect work from the 2009 grand jury probe of an NAACP leader because she was then a stay-at-home mother.
The leak grew out of Kane’s feud with former office prosecutor Frank Fina, he said.
During the trial, Steele and co-prosecutor Michelle Henry called about a dozen witnesses and presented 84 exhibits.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane stands in a hallway at the Montgomery County Courthouse during a break in the trial, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Norristown, Pa., where closing arguments are expected during her perjury and obstruction trial.
“Twelve people from Montgomery County acted courageously today, after viewing our evidence and hearing our witnesses, did a hard thing in convicting our state’s top law enforcement officer”, Steele said.
“Kathleen and I came up with a story, about what I was going to testify to and what she was going to testify to”, Morrow said last week.
Kane is accused of leaking secret grand jury files and lying about it under oath.
Defense attorney Seth Farber attacked Morrow’s and King’s credibility in a 90-minute closing argument.
“I submit you would not even buy a used auto from either one of them”, he said.
During the trial in Norristown, outside Philadelphia, Kane’s lawyers argued that she meant to make a legal leak of information to the press and did not know her aides would include grand jury material.
A top deputy told the jury he was alarmed when he saw the June 2014 article.
“Who would say that other than a person who is responsible?”
Kane, the first Democrat and first woman elected to serve as state attorney general, was directed to surrender her passport.
Shortly after her conviction, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) issued a statement calling on Kane to “resign immediately”.
Governor Wolf later released a statement on the verdict:”Today is a sad day for the commonwealth and the people of Pennsylvania”. “Attorney General Kane has been convicted of serious charges”.
That aspect of the case, a law enforcement official using her powers to abuse the law, seemed to stick in the craw of the prosecutors.
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The Pennsylvania Consitution requires Kane to step down when she is sentenced within the next three months.
