Joseph T. Murphy

Murphy was born in 1910 in Philadelphia's Frankford neighborhood, the son of James and Fannie Murphy.{{sfn|1940 Census}} He graduated from Northeast Catholic High School in 1929, a member of the school's first graduating class.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}} He later earned a bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's University in 1933 and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1936.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}}

He practiced law in Philadelphia, specializing in real estate. From 1943 to 1947, he was an attorney for the United States Department of Agriculture.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}}

Murphy was also active in local Republican Party politics. He ran for city council in 1951, but finished a distant fourth in the 6th district Republican primary.{{sfn|Inquirer 1951}} In 1960, Republican ward leaders nominated him for the 6th district seat in a special election following the death of Democrat Michael J. Towey.{{sfn|Inquirer 1960a}} Murphy pledged to fight tax hikes and public housing expansion proposed by the Democrat-led city government.{{sfn|Inquirer 1960b}} His run was unsuccessful as he lost to Democrat William A. Dwyer, Jr. by a substantial margin.{{sfn|Inquirer 1960c}}

In 1968, Governor Raymond P. Shafer named Murphy to a seat on the Philadelphia Municipal Court and he won an uncontested election to a full term the following year.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}} Governor Milton Shapp appointed him to the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in 1972.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}} On that court, one of his most notable decisions was in the case of former CIA agent George Fassnacht, who was found to have a massive stockpile of munitions in his Fox Chase home. Murphy ruled that the police acted improperly when they seized the weapons without a warrant.{{sfn|Lame|1972}}

Murphy won a retention election in 1973 for another ten-year term on the bench and spent most of his time on the court presiding over criminal cases.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}} In 1974, City Controller Tom Gola charged Murphy with borrowing firearms from evidence for personal use.{{sfn|Lame|1974}} No charges were filed over what turned out to be a common practice on the court, but the rules were changed the following year to prevent recurrences.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}}

In 1978, the Pennsylvania Constitution was amended to require judges to retire at age 70. Murphy and four other judges in their late sixties challenged the law in court.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}} They were successful in U.S. district court, but lost on appeal to the Third Circuit.{{sfn|Epstein|1980}} Murphy turned 70 in 1980 and took senior status on the court. He continued to hear cases until 1991.

In 1992, Murphy died from a heart attack at the age of 81.{{sfn|Inquirer 1992}}

{{reflist|20em}}

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• {{cite web |url = http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1940usfedcen&indiv=try&h=22580389 |title = 1940 United States Federal Census, T627_3706, page 13B |publisher = Ancestry.com |access-date = June 6, 2017 |ref={{sfnRef|1940 Census}} }}
• {{cite news |title= Summary of Phila. Primaries |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 26, 1951 |page=29 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178123088/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1951}} }}
• {{cite news |title=Dwyer Nominee In Council Race |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=October 12, 1960 |page=6 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178314026/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1960a}} }}
• {{cite news |title=GOP Candidate Fights Tax Hike |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 6, 1960 |page=38 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178295568/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1960b}} }}
• {{cite news |title=Democrats Retain 2 Seats in Council |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 9, 1960 |page=7 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178301639/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1960c}} }}
• {{cite news |last=Lame |first= Anthony |title=Fassnacht Evidence Suppressed |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=October 28, 1972 |page=1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/180032766/ |via=Newspapers.com }}
• {{cite news |last=Lame |first= Anthony |title=Gola: Judge Took Seized Guns |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=January 5, 1974 |page=9 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/180412713/ |via=Newspapers.com }}
• {{cite news |last=Epstein |first= Aaron |title=Judges Lose Appeal of Age Rule |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 4, 1980 |page=3-F |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171681016/ |via=Newspapers.com }}
• {{cite news |title= Phila. Judge Joseph T. Murphy, 'hard-working, well-respected' |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=October 16, 1992 |page=B19 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/177655471/ |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|Inquirer 1992}} }}

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Category:1910 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:Lawyers from Philadelphia

Category:Saint Joseph's University alumni

Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni

Category:Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas

Category:Pennsylvania Republicans

Category:20th-century Pennsylvania state court judges

Category:20th-century American lawyers