Daniel McCaffery
{{Short description|American judge (born 1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox judge
| office = Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
| term_start = January 2, 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Max Baer
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|7|20}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| relatives = Seamus McCaffery (brother)
| education = Temple University (BA, JD)
| website = {{url|judgemccaffery.com|Campaign website}}
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = {{army|United States|size=23px}} (1983–1985)
23px United States Army Reserve (1985–1989)
| unit = 23px 1st Cavalry Division
}}
Daniel D. McCaffery (born July 20, 1964){{Cite web |date=January 13, 2023 |title=Personal Data Questionnaire |url=https://www.pabar.org/public/news%20releases/23jec/DanielMcCafferySupreme.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314063935/https://www.pabar.org/public/news%20releases/23jec/DanielMcCafferySupreme.pdf |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Citetweet|last=McCaffery|first=Judge Dan|user=JudgeMcCaffery|number=1682058629476675587|date=July 20, 2023|title=Please join us in wishing Judge Dan McCaffery a heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Let’s celebrate our Judge and our love for Pennsylvania by doubling down to ensure we elect him to the PA Supreme Court! http://judgemccaffery.com|access-date=November 12, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231113151709/https://twitter.com/JudgeMcCaffery/status/1682058629476675587|archive-date=November 13, 2023 |url-status=live}} is an American lawyer who serves as a justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court since 2024. He is a former judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, serving from 2020 to 2024. He defeated Republican Carolyn Carluccio in the 2023 Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, winning with 53% of the vote.
Military service and education
After graduating from Father Judge High School in 1982, McCaffery joined the United States Army and served with the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. He attended the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. After being honorably discharged from active duty, he served three more years in the Army Reserve.{{Cite web |title=Judge Daniel D. McCaffery |url=https://www.pacourts.us/courts/court-of-judicial-discipline/current-and-historical-list-of-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery |access-date=November 11, 2023 |website=www.pacourts.us |language=en |archive-date=November 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111035809/https://www.pacourts.us/courts/court-of-judicial-discipline/current-and-historical-list-of-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery |url-status=live }} He received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Temple University in 1988 and a Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law in 1991.{{Cite web |title=Judge Daniel D. McCaffery |url=https://www.pacourts.us/courts/superior-court/superior-court-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107102242/https://www.pacourts.us/courts/superior-court/superior-court-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |website=www.pacourts.us |language=en |url-status=live}}
Career
From 1991 to 1997, McCaffery was an assistant district attorney for Philadelphia County. From 1997 to 2014, he was a shareholder with Friedman, Schuman P.C. From 2014 to 2019, he was a judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. In 2019, he was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.{{Cite web |last1=Caruso |first1=Stephen |last2=Huangpu |first2=Kate |last3=Meyer |first3=Katie |date=November 3, 2023 |title=Who is Daniel McCaffery, running for PA Supreme Court? |url=https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/11/daniel-mccaffery-pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-2023/ |access-date=November 11, 2023 |website=Spotlight PA |language=en-us |archive-date=November 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111035809/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/11/daniel-mccaffery-pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-2023/ |url-status=live }}
= Pennsylvania Supreme Court =
In November 2022, McCaffery announced his candidacy for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court left vacant by the death of fellow Democrat Max Baer.{{Cite news |date=November 18, 2022 |title=McCaffery to run for open seat on Pennsylvania high court |language=en |publisher=WESA |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.wesa.fm/courts-justice/2022-11-18/mccaffery-to-run-for-open-seat-on-pennsylvania-high-court |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112015540/https://www.wesa.fm/courts-justice/2022-11-18/mccaffery-to-run-for-open-seat-on-pennsylvania-high-court |url-status=live }} He was endorsed by the state Democratic Party in February 2023,{{Cite news |date=February 1, 2023 |title=Democrats Endorse Philly Judge for Seat on Pa.'s Supreme Court |language=en-US |work=NBC10 Philadelphia |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/democrats-endorse-mccaffrey-supreme-court/3487000/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203052735/https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/democrats-endorse-mccaffrey-supreme-court/3487000/ |url-status=live }} and won the May 2023 primary against fellow Superior Court Judge Deborah Kunselman with 60% of the vote.{{Cite web |date=May 16, 2023 |title=2023 Municipal Primary Official Returns |url=https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/Home/SummaryResults?ElectionID=100&ElectionType=P&IsActive=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231112014552/https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/Home/SummaryResults?ElectionID=100&ElectionType=P&IsActive=0 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |access-date=November 12, 2023 |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of State}} He went on to face the Republican nominee, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Carluccio, in the general election.{{Cite news |last1=Caruso |first1=Stephen |last2=Huangpu |first2=Kate |date=September 6, 2023 |title=Pa. election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for state Supreme Court |language=en-US |work=WHYY |url=https://whyy.org/articles/pa-election-2023-state-supreme-court-candidates/ |access-date=December 5, 2023 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106130107/https://whyy.org/articles/pa-election-2023-state-supreme-court-candidates/ |url-status=live }}
Abortion was the central theme of the general election.{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=November 8, 2023 |title=How abortion became the central issue in Pennsylvania's Supreme Court race |url=https://www.penncapital-star.com/reproductive-rights/how-abortion-became-the-central-issue-in-pennsylvanias-supreme-court-race/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |website=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |language=en-US |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://www.penncapital-star.com/reproductive-rights/how-abortion-became-the-central-issue-in-pennsylvanias-supreme-court-race/ |url-status=live }} Even though candidates in judicial elections typically avoid commenting on specific issues, McCaffery explicitly campaigned on protecting the right to an abortion.{{Cite news |last=Blumenthal |first=Paul |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Pennsylvania Supreme Court Race Tests Democrats' Post-Roe Strategy On Abortion Rights |language=en-US |publisher=Yahoo! News |agency=Huffington Post |url=https://news.yahoo.com/pennsylvania-supreme-court-race-tests-094507504.html |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://news.yahoo.com/pennsylvania-supreme-court-race-tests-094507504.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Marc |date=November 9, 2023 |title=Expensive judicial races might be here to stay in Pennsylvania after record high court campaign |language=en |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-state-supreme-court-record-spending-7ed804dd4a7871698f651843b16daccd |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200122/https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-state-supreme-court-record-spending-7ed804dd4a7871698f651843b16daccd |url-status=live }} Carluccio declined to take a public position on the issue, but did say she would uphold Pennsylvania's law allowing abortion until 24 weeks after conception.{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Marc |date=August 24, 2023 |title=Democrats in Pennsylvania want to keep a Supreme Court majority. They are talking up abortion rights |language=en |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-274a476c66e2ea3f9dace25a4cff546a |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-274a476c66e2ea3f9dace25a4cff546a |url-status=live }} However, she was endorsed by the anti-abortion Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, and the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania supported her because she called herself "pro-life".
Over $22 million was spent during the campaign, making the election one of the most expensive Supreme Court elections in the Commonwealth's history.{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Marc |date=November 3, 2023 |title=Pennsylvania's election will be headlined by races for statewide courts, including a high court seat |language=en |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-campaign-0c517ed69436d8271fec7b7f04ae025e |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200123/https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-campaign-0c517ed69436d8271fec7b7f04ae025e |url-status=live }} Of that total, McCaffery and his allies spent over $13 million, primarily funded by "the state Democratic Party, labor unions, and associations representing trial attorneys."{{Cite news |last1=Caruso |first1=Stephen |last2=Huangpu |first2=Kate |date=October 31, 2023 |title=Lots of spending as PA Supreme Court race nears end |language=en-us |url=https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/10/supreme-court-campaign-finance-pennsylvania-yass-ads-spending/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200122/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/10/supreme-court-campaign-finance-pennsylvania-yass-ads-spending/ |url-status=live }}
On November 7, 2023, he was elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court with 53% of the vote;{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2023 |title=Dan McCaffery edges Carolyn Carluccio in contested, expensive Pa. Supreme Court race |publisher=CBS Philadelphia |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dan-mccaffery-beats-carolyn-carluccio-supreme-court-race/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |last=Brandt |first=Joe |language=en-US |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109044300/https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dan-mccaffery-beats-carolyn-carluccio-supreme-court-race/ |url-status=live }} McCaffery's support for abortion rights has been credited as a major factor in his victory.{{Cite news |last1=McGoldrick |first1=Gillian |last2=Terruso |first2=Julia |date=November 9, 2023 |title=After another disappointing night for Pa. Republicans, the GOP struggles to find an answer to abortion |language=en |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url=https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-results-mccaffery-carluccio-20231109.html |access-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112211154/https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-results-mccaffery-carluccio-20231109.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Weisman |first1=Jonathan |last2=Epstein |first2=Reid J. |date=November 8, 2023 |title=How Abortion Lifted Democrats, and More Takeaways From Tuesday's Elections |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/us/politics/election-takeaways-abortion-biden.html |access-date=November 12, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112211154/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/us/politics/election-takeaways-abortion-biden.html |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Ballotpedia|Daniel_D._McCaffery}}
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{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Max Baer}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court}}|years=2024–present}}
{{s-inc}}
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{{Pennsylvania statewide political officials}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCaffery, Daniel D.}}
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century American judges
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
Category:Judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Category:Lawyers from Philadelphia
Category:Pennsylvania Democrats
Category:Temple University alumni
Category:Temple University Beasley School of Law alumni