Former traffic judge gets 18 months in prison

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former traffic court judge charged for lying about corruption at the court has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that 57-year-old Robert Mulgrew was the first of four judges to be sentenced for perjury.

A federal judge Wednesday characterized Mulgrew’s conviction as a “capstone” on a judicial career “marked by regular and willing participation in a pervasive system of corruption.”

The four judges were convicted of perjury, but were acquitted of conspiracy and fraud charges related to a ticket-fixing scheme.

Mulgrew’s attorney says her client didn’t destroy the court and was merely inducted into a system created by past judges.

The sentence is tacked on to a 30-month sentence he received for skimming money in grants to improve a neighborhood park.