Judge With An Itchy Trigger Finger Arrested For Shooting Ex In The Head

// If I had a nickel for every time I wrote about Pennsylvania judge Sonya McKnight shooting her ex-romantic partner, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

The Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge was arrested last week on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault after her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, was shot in the head in bed in his home. McKnight’s bail has been set at $300,000.

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McKnight is currently suspended from her judicial post for unrelated misconduct allegations.

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According to authorities, McCoy recently ended a one-year relationship with the judge. After the breakup, McCoy had to take his keys from McKnight’s key ring, but he later found her in his home. The relationship further devolved from there, as reported by Huffington Post:

“He immediately yells at her asking: What is she doing there? How did she get into the home? Why is she there?” the affidavit read.

McKnight told McCoy that she took his spare keys, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, McCoy returned home from work again on Feb. 9 to find his ex sitting on his couch wearing pajamas. The two began to argue, and McCoy then left. McKnight called McCoy to ask where he was going, but he ignored most of her calls and texts because “they were broke up and he didn’t need to” respond, the affidavit read.

After McCoy rejected one attempt McKnight made to talk, she responded “Oh, you’re serious?” It was at this point, McCoy told police, “it was like she finally understood that it was over.” McKnight went to bed.

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That’s when McCoy awoke screaming with “massive head pain.” He heard McKnight say,“Mike, what did you do to yourself?” When an ambulance was called, paramedics found McCoy alive but with a gunshot wound in his head. The bullet reportedly entered the right temple and exited the left temple. According to the arresting affidavit, McCoy could not explain exactly what happened, except to say, “I did not shoot myself.”

Forensic evidence revealed gunshot residue on McKnight’s hand and it was determined McCoy was shot from a foot away.

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2019 was the first time Above the Law wrote about Judge McKnight. Then she shot her estranged husband in the groin when he was at her house to move furniture. Charges were not filed in that case after the judge said she was acting in self-defense.

Earlier: Judge Shot Her Estranged Husband, Now She’s On Paid Leave While The State Investigates The Shooting

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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].

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Courts, Crime, Guns / Firearms, Judicial Misconduct, Sonya McKnight