Leon King is vying to be Philadelphia’s first out African-American Court of Common Pleas judge.
The former commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System and longtime civil-rights attorney is making his fourth attempt for a seat on the bench.
“I am running for the court because I want to address the issues I have been working on to reform the prison and criminal-justice systems, from within the court,” said King.
If elected judge, King said, he would hope to serve as a role model for LGBT youth of color.
“We do not have any openly gay African-Americans in upper-level municipal office,” King said. “It’s time we elect someone of color and who is gay to the bench. The black community, especially young people, need to see more black men in places of leadership, like the bench.”
King said he views his LGBT identity as something that could prepare him to lead a fair courtroom.
“I think being openly gay helps you be more in tune with other people who haven’t always been accepted by mainstream society,” said King. “It would also help create a more open-minded culture amongst other judges and people in the justice system.”
King added that the passing of trans activist Jaci Adams last year also helped him realize how much an impact a judge can have in a person’s life.
“Jaci really turned her life around, from criminal to respected activist. She told me how it all began with one judge,” King said. “She said a judge was the first person in her life to respect her enough to address her as a woman, ‘Ms. Adams,’ and that from there she began to rethink her life.”
King said he would strive to have a similar impact on the lives of the people who would come before him if he were elected.
“When I am on the bench and you come in and tell me your story, I am actually going to listen,” he said.
King, 51, was a key figure in implementing prison-reform programs for mentally ill and HIV-positive inmates during his tenure as prison commissioner from 2002-08.
Among his accomplishments, King launched a database to document inmates with mental illnesses to better provide treatment for them, and to allow for non-violent mentally ill inmates who, according to King, “didn’t necessarily belong there,” to potentially transfer to a more suitable facility.
He also started a pilot program for the mentally ill, which he said eventually led to the creation of Mental Health Court, which provides alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders with mental illnesses.
King said when he first became commissioner, inmates with HIV were not getting the care they needed.
“The second I got there, I sat down with Philly FIGHT to find a solution,” he said. “We coordinated with the courts from a medical standpoint to make sure people in the system were treated with respect and dignity, and so their condition didn’t get worse.”
King also said efforts like putting condoms on the commissary list had a large impact.
Prior to becoming commissioner, King worked as counsel for the city’s law department, in which he litigated several different areas of law.
From 1991-93 he litigated personal-injury claims as an assistant city solicitor. Then, through 2001, he handled civil-rights cases for the same department, but as deputy city solicitor, representing law enforcement and other civil servants. He then handled labor and employment disputes for a year before becoming commissioner.
After his tenure with the prison system, King served as director of legislation for City Councilman Frank Rizzo for a year before starting his own practice.
For the past six years, he has specialized in civil rights, employment and criminal-defense cases. King has also been an associate professor of criminal justice at Drexel University since 2004.
King is actively involved in the community and serves on the board of several nonprofits including Mothers in Charge, The Attic Youth Center and Renewed Heart Ministries. He is also a former board member of William Way LGBT Community Center.
He received his law degree from Temple University in 1991 after graduating from University of Massachusetts in 1988 with a bachelor’s in political science.
Born in Bermuda but raised in Massachusetts, King has lived in Philadelphia for the past 27 years. He currently resides in Mount Airy with his partner of 29 years and their two dogs.