McCaffery's rise and fall

The following is from Inquirer and Associated Press articles, and biographies prepared by former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery.

Born: June 3, 1950, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Military:. Marine Corps, 1968-85; Air Force Reserve, 1985-2008.

Education: Cardinal Dougherty High School, diploma, 1968; bachelor's degree, La Salle University, 1977; law degree, Temple University, 1989.

Family: Married Lise Rapaport, a lawyer, in 1990; she became his chief judicial aide and remained in that post until Monday. He has three grown sons from a previous marriage.

Philadelphia police officer, 1970-89: Patrolman, plainclothes vice/narcotics investigator, homicide detective.

In 1980, a worker found human limbs wrapped in century-old newspapers while pulling down a false ceiling in a house. McCaffery, then a Homicide detective, told a reporter: "It's one of two things. A Civil War souvenir, which I highly doubt, or an unsolved, turn-of-the century murder."

Municipal Court judge, 1993-2004: Barely a year after joining Municipal Court, McCaffery chased and captured a man who had been set to appear before him on a theft charge at a police station.

"I guess it's just hard to get out of your blood," McCaffery said. "You just react."

McCaffery in 1996: "There's no better judge to tell if a cop is tap dancing. They play with me, I hammer them. I'm not going to have cops come in my courtroom and insult me."

In 1997, after founding "Eagles court" at Veterans Stadium, McCaffery became a global celebrity for taming rowdy sports fans. He made Page One of USA Today and the New York Times, and was on major TV networks. Amid chatter of political ambitions, he said this:

"Never believe your press. Today, you're a golden boy; tomorrow, nobody knows who you are."

Appointed administrative judge of Municipal Court, 2001: "My favorite four-letter word is J-A-I-L."

"I'm a character. I admit it."

"My ultimate goal? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court would be my ultimate goal."

"I used to be so frustrated. I decided the only way to have an impact was to become a judge." - McCaffery in January 2001.

Pa. Superior Court judge, 2004-08: "I'm not a typical judge, and not because I ride a Harley and shave my head and any of that stuff." - McCaffery after he was elected to Superior Court.

Pa. Supreme Court justice, 2008-14: "We have a system that is on the brink of overall collapse." - McCaffery, referring in 2009 to low conviction rates in Philadelphia courts. He pledged to pursue reforms.

"I served my country proudly in the United States Marine Corps. I served my city proudly as an officer of the Philadelphia Police Department. Coarse language and crude jokes permeated both ranks. That's not an excuse, just a fact. Unfortunately, personal, private e-mails between me and some longtime friends were never meant to be viewed by anyone else, but they were. I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment. ... It was wrong, and I am sorry." - McCaffery's statement Oct. 16 after revelations that he sent pornographic e-mails from a personal account to a friend in the state Attorney General's Office and to his brother, a Philadelphia judge.

"...My retirement is effective immediately. ..." - McCaffery's letter to Gov. Corbett, Monday.