Philadelphia DA reassigns 3 prosecutors over porn scandal

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Three Philadelphia prosecutors involved in a group that exchanged sexually explicit and raunchy emails are being reassigned amid calls for their firing.

Frank Fina was transferred from handling high profile public corruption cases to civil litigation, Mark Constanzo was transferred from special investigations to appeals, and Patrick Blessington was transferred from insurance fraud to the appellate division.

Their boss, District Attorney Seth Williams, declined to speak on Friday.

On Thursday, City Council voted to have them fired over emails deemed racially and culturally offensive at best.

State Attorney General Kathleen Kane believes some of them are far worse. She has hired a special prosecutor to review the emails that circulated in her office when the men worked there.

"We deserve to know. I think the public wants to know," said Councilwoman Cindy Bass.

Bass rolled out a resolution last month demanding Williams fire the three. Critics say the emails are demeaning to Blacks, woman and gays among others

"It's hateful, it's very much hateful," she said.

She says if DA's think intolerant emails are funny, how can people believe they will get justice?

"If I am a woman, an African-American woman, how do I know if you are really going to take me seriously?" she said.

State Senator Anthony Williams also wants answers, saying the derogatory emails widely circulated within the Pennsylvania legal system.

"It's judges, defenders, public defenders, prosecutors, U.S. assistant prosecutors, are all part of it," Williams said.

He adds those sending the emails on state computers, drawing state salaries, need to go.

"I would challenge anyone that would call somebody the names and terms that they would call people, and suggest you can flip a switch and then become fair and blind," Williams said.

Williams said there needs to be significant judicial and legal reform in Pennsylvania if the system expects the public to trust it.