Michael Thomas Joyce is a judge on the bench of Pennsylvania's second highest court, the Superior Court. As a powerful appeal court, the Pennsylvania Superior Court hears and decides important criminal appeals. They also decide appeals from the civil courts often involving millions of dollars. Judge Michale Joyce is a Republican so it should come as no great surprise that the feds have indicted him for a slew of lies and defrauding two insurance firms out of almost half a million dollars. The feds had to bring the indictment because Pennsylvania's courts are so corrupt that they can't be trusted to weed out even the most corrupt judges. And, to believe federal prosecutors, his Republican honor, Judge Joyce was plenty corrupt. They say the judge was involved in a very minor auto accident at speeds of about 5 miles per hour. After the accident, Joyce, a native of Erie, a place of true corruption, didn't even bother to call the police to investigate, the incident was so trivial. That didn't stop the Republican from collecting a bushel of bucks. With Republicans, it always comes down to money. The judge supposedly told insurance companies that the accident had injured him. Of all terrible things, it had impaired his ability to play golf and to scuba dive. We all realize how vital scuba diving is to a Superior Court judge. The feds say that Mr. Joyce also told the insurance companies that the injuries prevented him from seeking higher judicial office and that the Republicans had promised to endorse him for a seat on the Supreme Court. That last part turned out to be just another judicial lie. We shouldn't be too quick to condemn the judge for a few lies, he said that the accident, even at less than 5 mph injured his neck and back, caused him headaches, loss of sleep, anxiety and even memory loss - yes, the dreaded amnesia! The feds claim that Judge Joyce made not just one lie, but many, in fact, many and a half! Mike's great acting got him some big payoffs. He raked in $390,000 from the Erie Insurance Company. In addition he collected $50,000 from State Farm. This on top of the $160,000 he collected as an "honorable" judge of the Superior Court. It's tempting to think that the insurance titans folded because of Joyce's position as a powerful judge before whom many of their insurance appeals would be heard. We all know that buying a Republican's integrity or vote is simply a question of the number of digits on the check. Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk," Henry David Thoreau, circa 1855 You are welcome to use or re-publish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Crime Stories Menu Return to the Politicians and Politics Menu Return to the Judges Who Shouldn't Be Menu Return to the Main Menu. Go to our site Search Feature. Send us Your Comments, Questions or Input.