Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille is speaking today at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in what’s billed as his first address as chief justice to the business community.
The event was marketed to the legal community to encourage attendance of the event, but the event is billed as off-the-record and is closed to the press.
According to a news release posted on the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Web site, the chamber, the bar association and corporate partners Blank Rome and Aqua America, are hosting a luncheon honoring Castille as The Park Hyatt at the Bellevue between 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today.
According to notice of the event on the chamber’s Web site: “The Chamber is honored to host The Honorable Ronald D. Castille in his first address as Chief Justice to the business community. Chief Justice Castille will discuss current issues facing Pennsylvania’s judicial system.”
Linda Brooke, spokeswoman for the chamber, said that the event was designed to be off the record and closed to the press.
During a September 2006 breakfast at the Chamber of Commerce that was open to the press, former Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy defended the need for the controversial pay raise for judges.
Stuart Ditzen, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts, said that Castille was happy to be covered by the press and did not request that the event be closed. Castille deferred to the Chamber of Commerce’s desire to have his remarks take place within a closed meeting, Ditzen said.
Ditzen noted that unlike this event the Cappy breakfast was a special event promoted to the press.
– Amaris Elliott-Engel , staff reporter
