Kevin Dougherty, widely regarded as an LGBT-affirming judge, addressed Philadelphia City Council Thursday to thank the representatives for their work during his tenure as judge on the Court of Common Pleas. He will assume his seat on the state Supreme Court bench in January, after being elected in November.
“I will leave my First Judicial District family and you, my brothers and sisters of City Council,” Dougherty said. “But I will never forget your compassion and your dedication to our targeted group: those in need.”
Dougherty said he would continue the equality work that he started in Philadelphia, namely consistently applying fair practices to anyone who came before him in court.
“Those communities that have always been placed on the sideline are now going to be welcomed back into the family of Pennsylvania, as we have done here in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection,” he said.
Dougherty served as an administrative judge in Family Court early in his tenure at the Court of Common Pleas. He once learned another judge had referred to a transgender child as “it” in an official report and, as a result, Dougherty decided to personally handle all cases involving transgender youth until he was able to procure proper training for court officials. Dougherty has been endorsed by PGN and the Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club.
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