Law enforcement officers have been in the spotlight often in recent years for being on the wrong side of the handcuffs.

Sheriffs, deputies, police chiefs, officers, state troopers and more have been arrested and charged, and followed the path through the justice system as defendants. Some have pleaded guilty or been convicted.

It can be disappointing if not outright demoralizing for the people who look to law enforcement with trust.

But those aren’t the only people in the courthouse who are being held to account.

In recent days, justice has been delivered or initiated on officers of the court.

On Wednesday, Allegheny County attorney Milton Raiford was suspended for a year and a day. Raiford, a well-known and vocal lawyer with a history of courting controversy, said he knew the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Board was planning to issue the ruling.

The discipline is strictly related to professional standards, claiming Raiford did not adequately represent an Indiana County client. More concerning is that this is not his first censure. In 1997, Raiford was disbarred after being convicted of obstruction of the administration of justice and only readmitted to practice in 2010.

The state Court of Judicial Discipline delivered a harsher ruling Thursday against a former Allegheny County district judge. It barred Anthony Saveikis, 57, of Coraopolis, from ever serving as a judge again.

Saveikis’ attorney said Allegheny County Police and the District Attorney’s Office investigated allegations against his client that included interactions with three juvenile males in 2018 and 2022. No criminal charges were filed.

However, the Court of Judicial Discipline, which has authority over all judges in any court in Pennsylvania, can hold its members to a higher standard than that of criminal prosecution. The fact that Saveikis stipulated — a legal term that indicates admission or at least a lack of opposition — to the complaint made that easier.

Saveikis conceded he lowered confidence in the court by his actions. The Court of Judicial Discipline censured him accordingly, making his resignation and pledge to never sit on the bench again “binding and irrevocable.”

Also Thursday, Latrobe attorney John Allen Ross, 69, was arrested on nine felony charges, including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft, financial exploitation and deceptive business practices. Police claim he stole more than $31,000 from an elderly jail inmate by accessing her bank account.

We do not opine on these charges, as they are just beginning their journey through the legal system. Ross is, like any defendant, innocent until proven guilty.

However, like the charges against various law enforcement officers, all of these cases — individually and taken together — are a poignant reminder that no one is above the law, including those who work within its context.

The disciplinary board, the Court of Judicial Discipline and county prosecutors provide a necessary check on the balance of power and authority within our courthouses.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)