Hail to the chief

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Like any Philadelphia district attorney, Ron Castille got used to the media spotlight and became a household name.
Castille served as DA from 1986-91, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for mayor.
Since then, he’s been performing some pretty significant work. The only thing is, the same Philadelphians who knew him as district attorney don’t know what he’s been doing since he left that office.
"They’ll say, ‘What are you doing now?’ I’ll say I’m on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. They’ll say, ‘How long have you been there?’ And I’ll say fourteen years."
Castille went to work for the law firm of Reed Smith Shaw & McClay after his mayoral loss.
In 1993, he defeated Russell Nigro for a seat on the state Supreme Court.
On Jan. 14 of this year, he was sworn in as the 55th chief justice of the court. He succeeded the retired Ralph Cappy and earned the position by his seniority.
A 63-year-old Rhawnhurst resident, Castille estimates that his workload will double because of all the administrative duties, traveling, giving speeches and dealings with state government on funding issues.
"The job is essentially the supervisor of a thousand and fifty judges statewide," he said.
Castille is a Miami native who lived in several other areas because his dad was in the military. He graduated in 1966 from Auburn University with an economics degree and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.
A rifle platoon commander, he was severely wounded in combat from enemy gunfire and lost his right leg. He spent 10 months recovering at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital in South Philadelphia.
Castille, who received numerous awards for his service, credits his platoon sergeant, Angel Mendez, with saving his life. Mendez was later killed in combat, and Castille is backing an effort in Congress to award him the Medal of Honor. After his discharge from the hospital, he earned a degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1971. He was hired by then-DA Arlen Specter to work for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office and hasn’t left the city since.
In 1985, as Ed Rendell was wrapping up his second and final four-year term as district attorney, Castille resigned from the office and became the Republican candidate for DA. He crushed Democrat Robert Williams in the general election.
In 1989, he easily defeated Democrat Walter Phillips to win re-election.
In both races, his biggest margins came in the 14 wards in the Northeast. He remains the last Republican to win a citywide race.
Recognizing Castille’s popularity, the Republican City Committee lobbied him hard to quit as district attorney to run for mayor. He liked the job and was proud of his office’s 93-percent conviction rate. He was best known for creating a drug enforcement unit, youth aid panels and units for career criminals, both adult and juveniles.
"Studies show that if you get kids early enough, you’ll prevent them from a life of crime," he said.
Eventually, Castille agreed to run for mayor and won the party’s endorsement.
However, he lost a close primary in 1991 to former Mayor Frank L. Rizzo in a race that also included Sam Katz. Rizzo died that summer, and by that time Castille was making good money practicing law.
In 1993, he decided to run for Supreme Court for a seat held by his mentor, James T. McDermott, who died in office.
"It was a significant mid-career change," he said. "I guess I was meant for a life of public service."
Castille has worked out of a high-rise office building near 19th and Market streets since 1994. He won a retention vote in 2003. His staff consists of six law clerks and three administrative employees.
The seven-member Supreme Court hears oral arguments at three sites: a city/county building in Pittsburgh, the Capitol in Harrisburg and Room 453 in Philadelphia City Hall. Castille said he tries to treat everyone who appears in front of him with respect.
As chief justice, Castille thinks he’ll be able to work well with state lawmakers. He’s former legislative chairman for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, has worked under Gov. Rendell when he was district attorney and is especially close to House Speaker Dennis O’Brien.
Judges are not permitted to comment on pending cases, but Castille is able to advocate for issues such as system-wide funding for mental health courts. He’s also a longtime support of appointing, rather than electing, judges.
Over the years, Castille has heard a variety of cases, ranging from death penalty appeals to a filing by turkey hunters who opposed a Pennsylvania Game Commission ruling that they wear orange.
The court also handles workers’ compensation, criminal and constitutional cases.
"It’s a heavy responsibility," Castille said. "The cases we have affect a wide sector of society."
One case that the court will likely hear concerns the city of Philadelphia’s effort to evict the Boy Scouts from its longtime Center City home because the group does not permit gay leaders.
Castille is a former member of the Cradle of Liberty Council’s executive committee and therefore might have to recuse himself.
The chief justice tries not to recuse himself from cases and urges other justices to do the same to avoid a 3-3 split vote.
A new member of the Supreme Court is Justice Seamus McCaffery, a Bustleton resident. Castille has known McCaffery, a fellow former Marine, since he was a homicide detective with the Philadelphia Police Department. He worked with the new justice’s wife, Lise, in the district attorney’s office.
"It will be interesting to see him develop," Castille said of McCaffery, a former Municipal Court and state Superior Court judge.
Right now, there are only six justices. On Tuesday, Rendell named former Commonwealth Court Judge James Gardner Colins, a Philadelphian, to replace Cappy. If confirmed, he’ll serve until someone is elected in 2009.
Castille hopes Cappy’s successor will be confirmed by the Senate by the time the court session begins in March.
"We want somebody competent for that seventh seat," Castille said last week. "I don’t care if it’s a Democrat, Republican or independent."
A former resident of Center City and East Falls, McCaffery lives in Rhawnhurst with his wife Susan. He is a member of Resurrection of Our Lord Church. He likes to ski and fish and has a boat that he docks in Somers Point, N.J. He enjoys gardening and barbecuing in his back yard and eating at Gallo’s Seafood restaurant. He would like to improve his golf game.
"I used to have an eleven handicap," he said.
Castille said he likes the quiet lifestyle of his neighborhood.
"It’s pleasant living there," he said. "It’s a nice place to come back to after a hectic day." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com