SCRANTON -- Kathleen Kane’s tenure as Pennsylvania’s attorney general ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The Scranton native resigned after her conviction of perjury and obstruction this week.
As she walked into her office in Scranton for the last time, Kane appeared relaxed and optimistic. She hopes she’s remembered for her accomplishments as state attorney general more than for her own criminal case.
“I hope that they remember that we tried our best,” she said.
Kathleen Kane spent her last day as Pennsylvania’s attorney general in her office on Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton. She spent most of the day helping with the final transitions for incoming Attorney General Bruce Castor.
“It’s time for me to focus on other things, and it’s time for Pennsylvanians to move forward,” Kane said.
The Scranton native's immediate focus includes what to do about her felony conviction Monday night. She's considering an appeal.
Then there's her sentencing that is scheduled for October where she could get prison time.
Kane says she can’t talk about her legal matters.
Veteran Scranton defense lawyer Mark Powell was part of the defense team for former Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak. Munchak is currently in federal prison after his 2012 conviction on corruption charges.
“I believe the judge is going to send a clear message to her because she is a high-profile person,” Powell said.
Powell says Kane’s lawyers have strong arguments to keep her out of prison.
“You’re dealing with a professional woman with no prior criminal history.”
On the other hand, Powell says Kane is vulnerable to a prison sentence as she’s been convicted of a crime as attorney general in a state with a reputation for corruption.
“People outside of Scranton have a little different view of Kathleen Kane than Scrantonians, and I do think the public will want her held accountable.”
Guidelines call for Kane to be sentenced to anywhere from probation to two and a half years behind bars, but the judge could go beyond that and sentence her to a maximum of 14 to 28 years.
Kane wants to look beyond what may happen at her sentencing. She looks back on her time as attorney general without regrets.
“Somebody has told me that your future is always brighter than your past,” Kane said.
She also doesn’t like to look back at what might have been, the promise when she was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s first elected female attorney general in 2013.
Kane says she hopes people remember her office’s accomplishments including takedowns of suspected drug dealers, stopping the privatization of the state lottery, and battling energy companies in the winter of 2014 by getting refunds for people whose electric rates doubled and tripled during record cold.
“I want to say to Pennsylvanians, I have been truly honored to serve them. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
The now former state attorney general says she is looking forward to spending quality time with her teenage sons for the rest of the summer.
Kane is scheduled to be sentenced in October in Montgomery County court.
