Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Mark V. Tranquilli on Tuesday was reassigned to summary appeals, according to an order issued by President Judge Kim Berkely Clark.
Judge Clark notified the state Supreme Court of the order, which is effective immediately.
According to KDKA-TV, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's news partner, the action was taken after Judge Tranquilli allegedly made racially-charged comments two weeks ago during a closed-door meeting for a drug case that included an assistant district attorney and defense attorney Joe Otte. The station cited unnamed sources.
The court order, signed by Judge Clark, states that "subject to approval and further Order by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania it is ordered that the Honorable Mark V. Tranquilli is assigned to preside over Summary Appeals, effectively immediately."
The order does not explain why the reassignment was ordered.
Judge Clark was unavailable for comment.
According to KDKA, Judge Tranquilli made a racist comment about a black female juror and the father of the woman's child.
A stenographer or court reporter did not attend the meeting and no transcript exists, KDKA said.
Mr. Otte declined to comment.
Judge Tranquilli was elected to the bench in 2013 after serving as a deputy district attorney in charge of the homicide unit.
At the time of his election, Judge Tranquilli attributed much of his success to name recognition following his prosecution of a number of high-profile cases, including that of Richard Poplawski, who was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for killing three Pittsburgh police officers.
"They remember you're a person out there fighting for public safety," Mr. Tranquilli said at the time.
First Published: February 4, 2020, 9:10 p.m.
