He is the second justice to retire since state Attorney General Kathleen Kane began releasing offensive messages found three years ago on her office’s computer servers. Justice Seamus McCaffery, a Democrat from Philadelphia, retired in fall 2014, ending a discipline probe against him and allowing him to keep his government pension.

Eakin’s defense lawyer, Bill Costopoulos, said at a news conference that the Republican justice sent retirement letters to Chief Justice G. Thomas Saylor, Gov. Tom Wolf and the Judicial Conduct Board. There was no reason to continue fighting the allegations, and his retirement makes the upcoming trial moot, Costopoulos said

VIDEO: Justice J. Michael Eakin Retiring

Bill Costopoulos, lawyer for Justice J. Michael Eakin, announces Eakin is retiring amid email scandal.

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