R. Seth Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seth Williams
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Williams in 2016
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| 24th District Attorney of Philadelphia | |
| In office January 4, 2010 – July 24, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Lynne Abraham |
| Succeeded by | Kelley B. Hodge (Interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 2, 1967 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University Law Center Pennsylvania State University |
| Website | Office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia |
| Criminal status | Released in April 2020 |
Rufus Seth Williams was born on January 2, 1967. He served as the district attorney for the city of Philadelphia. He started his term on January 4, 2010. Before this, he worked as an assistant district attorney. Williams was the first African-American district attorney in Philadelphia and in the entire state of Pennsylvania. He resigned from his position on June 29, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Seth Williams was adopted when he was a baby. He grew up in West Philadelphia with his adoptive parents. His father, Rufus O. Williams, was a teacher. His mother, Imelda, worked as a secretary.
High School and College Years
Williams graduated from Central High School in 1985. He then went to Penn State. While there, he was the president of the Penn State Student Black Caucus. He also led the Undergraduate Student Government.
As a student, he was an activist. He once led a 102-mile march to Harrisburg, the state capital. This march was to encourage Penn State to stop investing in companies connected to South Africa. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992.
Early Career Path
After finishing law school, Williams joined the Philadelphia district attorney's office. He worked there for 10 years as an assistant district attorney.
Key Roles and Experience
During his time as an assistant district attorney, he became assistant chief of the Municipal Court. In this role, he guided 30 new prosecutors. He also started and led the Repeat Offenders Unit. This unit aimed to reduce crimes committed by people who had offended before.
Williams gained a lot of experience in court. He handled many jury trials and thousands of other court cases.
Moving to Public Service
In 2005, Williams ran against Lynne Abraham for district attorney. She had held the position for a long time. Williams lost that election.
Afterward, the mayor appointed him as Inspector General for the City of Philadelphia. His job was to investigate claims of corruption and misconduct among city workers. He left this role in 2008. He then worked as a lawyer at a firm called Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young.
District Attorney of Philadelphia
Becoming District Attorney
On November 3, 2009, Seth Williams was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia. He won with more than 75% of the votes. This made him the first African-American district attorney in Philadelphia and in Pennsylvania. He officially took office on January 4, 2010, taking over from Lynne Abraham.
While serving as District Attorney, Williams also taught at Temple and Villanova universities. He was also an advisory board member at Penn State Abington. He held the rank of major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army.
Important Cases and Actions
In January 2011, Williams's office brought charges against a doctor named Kermit Gosnell. In 2013, Gosnell was found guilty of serious crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Williams also started legal action in cases involving serious accusations within the Catholic Church. One case, known as the "Billy Doe" case, involved charges against priests and a schoolteacher. Doubts were later raised about some of the details in this case. One priest, Msgr William Lynn, was convicted. His case has been going through appeals for many years.
Another priest, Fr Robert L. Brennan, also faced charges. These charges were later dropped.
The "Porngate" Scandal
A scandal called "Porngate" became public in Pennsylvania. It involved government employees and officials using state computers to share inappropriate emails. This led to some officials resigning or being suspended.
Some prosecutors who were part of these email chains later worked for Williams in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. When this became known, the content of their emails was released. This caused public outrage. Many people, including all five women on the City Council, asked Williams to fire these prosecutors. Williams eventually reassigned them. One prosecutor later resigned to start his own law practice.
Financial Issues and Resignation
On February 10, 2017, Williams announced he would not seek re-election. This decision came after political issues arose. He was accused of not reporting gifts he received between 2010 and 2015. His finances were also investigated by the FBI and IRS. He resigned from his position on June 29, 2017.
Honors and Awards
In October 2011, Seth Williams received an Alumni Fellow Award from Pennsylvania State University. This award recognizes successful alumni.
Personal Life
Seth Williams married a woman named Sonita. They had three daughters together. After they separated in 2011, their daughters lived with their mother.
Williams is a Catholic. He was a member of St. Cyprian Roman Catholic Church.
Images for kids
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Williams in 2016
