William Brennan

ONE THING is certain: Kenneth W. Smith Jr. is a bonehead. Everyone from the judge to his family to his own lawyer used the term to describe Smith when he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison Monday for a hoax against a romantic rival that grounded a US Airways flight in September. "My plan to be with the one I love and have a simple life was shattered by my decisions," said Smith, who sobbed during most of the hearing. "I had no idea it would turn into what it did. " On Sept.

THREE STRIKES and that's it. Sayonara! The state Supreme Court yesterday canned Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge Willie F. Singletary, suspending him without pay after he allegedly showed a woman cellphone pictures of his genitalia two weeks ago. But this isn't the first time Singletary has made headlines. In 2007 his driver's license was suspended for unpaid tickets, and two years later he was reprimanded for promising favors in exchange for campaign donations. Yesterday, the Supreme Court ordered that Singletary be "relieved of any and all judicial and administrative responsibilities as a judge of the Philadelphia Traffic Court.

For a second day, the lawyer for an Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest battled Thursday with a man who claimed the priest molested him when he was 14, once suggesting the accuser concocted the allegation because his mother had been spending so much time with the cleric. "What better way to get the subject of her attention out of your life than to come up with a story?" said the attorney, William Brennan. The question came amid a tense cross-examination as the lawyer sought to expose cracks, not just in the allegation but in the landmark abuse and endangerment case against his client, the Rev. James J. Brennan (no relation)

Philadelphia prosecutors said Monday they planned to retry James J. Brennan, the former Archdiocese of Philadelphia parish priest accused to trying to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996. "James Brennan used his position as a priest to prey upon and victimize this young man," District Attorney Seth Williams said. "It is extremely important that Brennan be held accountable for his crime, not just for his victim but for all victims of sexual abuse. " Brennan, 48, was one of two defendants in the unprecedented trial about clergy-sex abuse in the archdiocese.

Philadelphia prosecutors said Monday that they planned to retry James J. Brennan, the former Archdiocese of Philadelphia parish priest accused of trying to rape a boy, 14, in 1996. "James Brennan used his position as a priest to prey upon and victimize this young man," District Attorney Seth Williams said. "It is extremely important that Brennan be held accountable for his crime, not just for his victim, but for all victims of sexual abuse. " Brennan, 48, was one of two defendants in the unprecedented trial about clergy-sex abuse in the archdiocese.

The Superior Court of Pennsylvania on Tuesday reversed the attempted prostitution conviction of a woman who was famously tried for trying to trade sex for Phillies World Series tickets. A jury in March 2010 found Susan Finkelstein, 45, of West Philadelphia, guilty of the third-degree misdemeanor after clearing her of the more serious charge of prostitution, lodged against her after she placed a racy online ad seeking tickets to the Phillies-Yankees series in 2009. She was sentenced to one year of probation and 100 hours of community service.

FOR A second day, the lawyer for an Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest battled Thursday with a man who claimed that the priest molested him when he was 14, once suggesting that the accuser concocted the allegation because his mother had been spending so much time with the cleric. "What better way to get the subject of her attention out of your life than to come up with a story?" said the attorney, William Brennan. The question came amid a tense cross-examination as the lawyer sought to expose cracks not just in the allegation, but also in the landmark abuse-and-endangerment case against his client, the Rev. James J. Brennan, and a former Archdiocese official, Monsignor William J. Lynn.

FOR SUSAN Finkelstein, sex and baseball have been intertwined in "dark and wonderful ways" since she knew they both existed. Finkelstein was soaking in the bathtub years ago. Pitcher Larry Christenson was on her mind. Things happened, OK? "I'm kind of an open person," she admits. But she's not a hooker. Yesterday, the state Superior Court overturned her March 2010 attempted prostitution conviction for allegedly offering sex to an undercover cop for tickets to the 2009 Phillies-Yankees World Series following her ill-conceived Craigslist post.

Arrested Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting an altar boy, the Rev. Andrew McCormick turned to a lawyer who knew the terrain - William J. Brennan Jr., just one month off of representing another priest in the recent Philadelphia Catholic clergy sex-abuse trial. Brennan on Monday confirmed that he had been hired to represent McCormick, 56, charged with molesting a 10-year-old altar boy in 1997 while he served at St. John Cantius parish in Bridesburg. McCormick, arrested Thursday night at his parents' home in Pottstown, was released Friday night after posting the required 10 percent of his $150,000 bail.

ONE THING is certain: Kenneth W. Smith Jr. is a bonehead. Everyone from the judge to his family to his own lawyer used the term to describe Smith when he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison Monday for a hoax against a romantic rival that grounded a US Airways flight in September. "My plan to be with the one I love and have a simple life was shattered by my decisions," said Smith, who sobbed during most of the hearing. "I had no idea it would turn into what it did. " On Sept.

APHILADELPHIA MAN who was the victim of a cruel airplane hoax was set up by his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend because the man had posted a "compromising picture" of his ex on Facebook, according to court documents. Federal authorities arrested Kenneth Smith Jr., 26, of Philadelphia, for calling police at the Philadelphia International Airport Thursday morning and reporting that passenger Christopher Shell would attempt to board a Texas-bound flight with liquid explosives, court documents said.

Arrested Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting an altar boy, the Rev. Andrew McCormick turned to a lawyer who knows the terrain - William J. Brennan Jr., just one month off representing another priest in the recent Philadelphia Catholic clergy-sex-abuse trial. Brennan confirmed Monday that he had been hired to represent McCormick, 56, who is charged with molesting a 10-year-old altar boy in 1997 while he served at St. John Cantius parish in Bridesburg. McCormick, arrested at his parents' home in Pottstown, was released Friday night after posting $150,000 bail.

Arrested Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting an altar boy, the Rev. Andrew McCormick turned to a lawyer who knew the terrain - William J. Brennan Jr., just one month off of representing another priest in the recent Philadelphia Catholic clergy sex-abuse trial. Brennan on Monday confirmed that he had been hired to represent McCormick, 56, charged with molesting a 10-year-old altar boy in 1997 while he served at St. John Cantius parish in Bridesburg. McCormick, arrested Thursday night at his parents' home in Pottstown, was released Friday night after posting the required 10 percent of his $150,000 bail.

JAMES BRENNAN, the former Catholic priest accused of attempting to rape a 14-year-old boy, appeared downbeat but determined Monday to prove his innocence after learning that the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office plans to retry him. "I feel badly about it because, personally, I don't think it's necessary, but it's the commonwealth's decision to do what they do," Brennan, 49, said outside the Criminal Justice Center. "All I can do is respond to it. " Brennan said his greatest concern was for his family and his attorney, William Brennan, because, he said, "they shouldn't have to go through this again.

Philadelphia prosecutors said Monday that they planned to retry James J. Brennan, the former Archdiocese of Philadelphia parish priest accused of trying to rape a boy, 14, in 1996. "James Brennan used his position as a priest to prey upon and victimize this young man," District Attorney Seth Williams said. "It is extremely important that Brennan be held accountable for his crime, not just for his victim, but for all victims of sexual abuse. " Brennan, 48, was one of two defendants in the unprecedented trial about clergy-sex abuse in the archdiocese.

Philadelphia prosecutors said Monday they planned to retry James J. Brennan, the former Archdiocese of Philadelphia parish priest accused to trying to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996. "James Brennan used his position as a priest to prey upon and victimize this young man," District Attorney Seth Williams said. "It is extremely important that Brennan be held accountable for his crime, not just for his victim but for all victims of sexual abuse. " Brennan, 48, was one of two defendants in the unprecedented trial about clergy-sex abuse in the archdiocese.

A JURY CONVICTED Monsignor William J. Lynn on Friday of child endangerment, finding that as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia secretary for clergy, he ignored credible warning signs about a priest who later sexually assaulted a 10-year-old altar boy. The verdict, after a three-month trial, marked the first time since the clergy-sex-abuse scandal erupted a decade ago that a Catholic Church supervisor had been found criminally liable for child-sex...

For a second day, the lawyer for an Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest battled Thursday with a man who claimed the priest molested him when he was 14, once suggesting the accuser concocted the allegation because his mother had been spending so much time with the cleric. "What better way to get the subject of her attention out of your life than to come up with a story?" said the attorney, William Brennan. The question came amid a tense cross-examination as the lawyer sought to expose cracks, not just in the allegation but in the landmark abuse and endangerment case against his client, the Rev. James J. Brennan (no relation)

FOR A second day, the lawyer for an Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest battled Thursday with a man who claimed that the priest molested him when he was 14, once suggesting that the accuser concocted the allegation because his mother had been spending so much time with the cleric. "What better way to get the subject of her attention out of your life than to come up with a story?" said the attorney, William Brennan. The question came amid a tense cross-examination as the lawyer sought to expose cracks not just in the allegation, but also in the landmark abuse-and-endangerment case against his client, the Rev. James J. Brennan, and a former Archdiocese official, Monsignor William J. Lynn.