A Complaint Has Been Filed Against A Judge Because His Wife Has A Successful Cheesesteak Spot, And This Is So Perfectly Philly

Mitchell Leff. Getty Images.

NY Post - The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board on Tuesday filed a complaint against Common Pleas Judge Scott DiClaudio over Shay’s Steaks, a high-end cheesesteak restaurant that opened more than a year ago a few blocks from city hall.

He’s accused of using his status as a judge to promote the business.

“This complaint is such a farce,” DiClaudio, who is acting as his own lawyer, said in a phone interview Tuesday evening. “People do not come to Shay’s because a judge may make their cheesesteak.”

“I have a support role, which I’m permitted to have,” he said. In a podcast interview cited by the board, DiClaudio discussed decisions about pricing, ingredients, salary levels for employees and competing restaurants.

“I don’t mind charging $19, because I’m giving you a better quality steak,” DiClaudio said on the podcast.

Lately, he said, health issues and the demands of having a young child have limited his time in the business. As a criminal court judge, his focus these days is on court actions filed by defendants after they have been convicted.

The Judicial Conduct Board investigates and prosecutes possible instances of judge misconduct in Pennsylvania. The case will be heard by the Court of Judicial Discipline.

The board complaint notes that news coverage of the restaurant in Philadelphia, where cheesesteaks are the subject of perpetual public interest, has noted that he is a judge. One story referred to him as “whiz honor” — a reference to the use of Cheez Whiz on some cheesesteaks.

If anything, DiClaudio said, his role in the restaurant may be improving the image of judges in the minds of his fellow Philadelphians, giving them “confidence in the judiciary — that we’re not all robots.”

The complaint references several news stories about the restaurant that describe him as a judge.

He said Shay’s Steaks has never used an image of him in judicial robes or described him as a judge in advertising materials.

He says he’s never been paid for his work there, and that the profits go to his wife.

DiClaudio is accused of falling short of a requirement that judges always act in a way that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

Another allegation is that he violated a rule that judges “not abuse the prestige of judicial office to advance the personal or economic interests of the judge or others, or allow others to do so.”

I fucking love this. Just perfect. The fact that this judge has to defend himself, while be taunted as "whiz honor" is just perfect. I feel like a story like this makes it so much better that it's Philly. When you cook up a preposterous story like this, it has to be in the capital of cheesesteaks. If it's in Omaha,Nebraska it doesn't hit as much, nor do I think the complaint gets filed in the first place. But when you are talking cheesesteaks - that's serious business in Philly. Of course someone dropped a dime on a judge if they think it gives them an advantage at more business than their own cheesesteak place, or one a family member owns. Of course they did. When it comes to cheesesteaks in Philly its a cut throat business. You have so many out there, the good ones thrive and the bad ones get gobbled up and die off. You can't be letting someone get a leg up on you because of their status if it's improper … that's your livelihood at stake. 

With all the jokes aside, this is crazy that this guy has to defend himself that people would go to his place because of his status. As I said, in Philly … cheesesteaks are no joke. If the place sucked, it wouldn't do well. Is there a possibility this guy got a jolt of business when it opened because people heard he was involved - maybe. But it's been open fora year now and seems to be doing well which proves my point it's a good product and people want to eat it. Also, he's got a massive piece of evidence on his side that he has never been show in judicial robes or mentioned he was a judge in advertising materials. End of case as far as I'm concerned. 38459390202020 other judge's wives have a business or a career and no one breaks their balls, stop breaking this guys balls.