Jimmy Tayoun made calls to top Traffic Court judge, federal indictment says
The politically-connected newspaper publisher had three reasons for two calls to the president judge of Philadelphia Traffic Court in the summer of 2011. Jimmy Tayoun, publisher of the Philadelphia Public Record, wanted an interview with Judge Michael Sullivan about his new leadership post, to take his picture and to seek help for an "associate" who was in danger of losing his license due to a traffic ticket.
Jimmy Tayoun made calls to top Traffic Court judge, federal indictment says
The politically-connected newspaper publisher had three reasons for two calls to the president judge of Philadelphia Traffic Court in the summer of 2011.
Jimmy Tayoun, publisher of the Philadelphia Public Record, wanted an interview with Judge Michael Sullivan about his new leadership post, to take his picture and to seek help for an “associate” who was in danger of losing his license due to a traffic ticket.
Sullivan was one of nine judges indicted Thursday on corruption charges for alleged ticket-fixing.
Tayoun, a former City Councilman who served time in federal prison in the 1990s on corruption charges, says his calls to Sullivan were no big deal.
“The call to a Traffic Court judge is the same in my opinion as me being a character witness in a court case,” said Tayoun, identified in the 79-page indictment only as “Ji.T.”
Judge H. Warren Hogeland dismissed the $152 ticket for driving with an expired vehicle inspection, even though Tayoun’s associate, identified in the indictment as “G.C.” didn’t show up in court. Hogeland was also indicted Thursday.
Tayoun, who has published at least three columns critical of the Traffic Court probe since it became public in late 2011, said charging judges for doing political favors “shows a definite weakness in the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to really find something wrong with that court.”
So where is Bob Brady, Ed Rendell, Street Brothers, and everyone else that was connected through these corrupt judges. Bet a dollar they will walk with nothing against them. Said that Philly is so corrupt. Think of all the money that was wasted and pocketed by their greed. Jail will suit them just fine in my book.— Oldhead60- Dinosaur Jimmy T. still in the game?!— Tkat
- Jimmy has never gone away from the, well except for that short stint in the pen. You can find him at almost any political gathering with his camera and his fork and spoon chowing down that free food all for the sake of his biased "Philly Record" rag.— TomM
- People in power, you think your above the law!!!— AuthorRtorressadler
- So, Jimmy T., does the Constitution REALLY say that there should be two kinds of justice in the US? One kind for people who are friends of judges and a different kind for everyone else?
Can you point me to the section of the Constitution (or, I'll be big about this) ANY legal precedent that supports your position?
Yeah, didn't think so. It seems our prison system has failed us once again; I don't think you were completely rehabilitated in prison.— Tatt2 - This convicted corrupt politician is so steeped in corruption -- and so arrogant -- that he proudly states to a reporter that “the call to a Traffic Court judge is the same in my opinion as me being a character witness in a court case.” To corrupt Philadelphia politicians, a private, clandestine call to a judge is the same as sworn testimony in open court, subject to cross-examination. Philadelphia's political machine is hopelessly corrupt.— Philly_Justice
- Philadelphia...corrupt, content, and provincial. Really, Philly, the rest of the state and country is laughing with you and not at you. lol.— FletcherT
- What a titanic waste of federal tax dollars— zen
- Who says Chicago Politics is corrupt, they don't have anything on the Philly Mob— 72Tiger
- I can't believe the cops are arresting traffic violators when they should be concentrating their efforts on imprisonng marijuana users.— Ouwachon
- Uncle June, did you take your medication today— Friend to All
- no wonder this city,state and country are going down the tubes. this land was once great. now we are becomig a bannana republic. shame!— jstash
- There once was a Lt. in the PPD,
who worked at Traffic Court in the 90's,
That police boss then eventually became an attorney, and left the PPD,
For a private practice of lawyering in Center City,
Now he's; a judge on easy street indeed...
Check into it indeed....indeed...— NICOT 
I thought Jim Tayoun was dead! That old man has been ripping off the public for fifty years. I remember seeing the welfare food trucks delivering crates full of cheese, meats, butter - to the old Middle East restaurant back in the Sixties! Can't believe he's still kicking and raising hell.— The Monk
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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