Judge Lisa Richette 1928-2007

Would writing "Ding dong, the witch is dead" be in bad form?

LISA AVERSA RICHETTE, a brilliant but controversial jurist who cared for battered women, the homeless, children at risk, the mentally ill and long-term prisoners, died of lung cancer on Friday.

The 79-year-old judge was being cared for at Vitas Hospice inside St. Agnes Continuing Care Center in South Philadelphia.

"She was flamboyant, outspoken, people respected her judicial acumen," said retired Common Pleas judge and longtime friend David N. Savitt. "She was her own person. She had her own dignity, her own way of acting. She was separate from the mold." (H/T - The Philadelphia Daily News)

Those of you who know me know that I despise hypocrisy. Thus, I am about to write what I really feel about Judge Richette. You've been warned.

I am one of the thousands of Philadelphia police officers who had the distinct displeasure of sitting before Judge Richette. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that this woman has done more to enable crime in this city than any other human being. "Let 'Em Go Lisa" was a true piece of work. Well, she was a piece of something, anyway. She was a true friend to Philadelphia's violent criminal population, and a true obstacle to the Philadelphia Police Department. Richette not only made sure defendants received a fair shake in her courtroom, she made sure they were treated more fairly than the victims.

With Richette's death, the streets of Philadelphia just got a little more safe.