DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Editor's note: The attached video is from a Feb. 15 broadcast.
The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board announced on April 10 that new charges will be filed in the Court of Judicial Discipline against suspended Harrisburg District Judge Sonya McKnight.
McKnight, 57, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault after reportedly shooting her ex-boyfriend while he was asleep on Feb. 10. The victim survived but is now blind in one eye as a result of the shooting.
The Judicial Board said McKnight violated the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of the Magisterial District Judges and the state Constitution.
Her charges are as follows:
- Count 1:Violation of Canon 1, Rule 1.1 of the Rules Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges (RGSCMDJ)
- Failure to comply with the law, including the RGSCMDJ
- Count 2:Violation of Canon 1, Rule 1.2 of the RGSCMDJ
- Failure to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
- Counts 3-4:Violation of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Engaging in an activity prohibited by law and violating canon of legal or judicial ethics prescribed by the Supreme Court.
- Count 5:Violation of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Engaging in conduct that brings the judicial office into disrepute, whether or not the conduct occurred while acting in a judicial capacity.
The Judicial Conduct Board argues that by engaging in the above conduct, Judge McKnight is subject to disciplinary action cited in Pa's Constitution, which includes suspension and/or removal from office.
McKnight has been suspended without pay since November 2023 after ethical violations were filed against her in September of that same year, which included theft of time and cooperation with disciplinary authorities, among other charges.