HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a stunning conclusion to a high-profile trial, Magistrate Judge Sonya McKnight was convicted Wednesday of attempted homicide and aggravated assault for shooting her ex-boyfriend in the head while he slept.
The jury deliberated for just two hours before delivering the guilty verdict. McKnight, who served as an elected judge in Dauphin County since 2016, was immediately taken into custody in handcuffs. She now faces up to 60 years in prison when sentenced on May 28.
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The Shooting and Trial
The incident occurred in February 2024 at the home of McKnight’s former partner. Although McKnight had lived at the residence previously, authorities stated the relationship had ended, and the man had repeatedly asked her to move out.
Prosecutors painted McKnight as a jealous and resentful former partner, claiming she “didn’t like” being told to leave. While her defense attorney argued that the victim couldn’t definitively identify the shooter, the victim testified that McKnight was the only other person in the home at the time of the attack.
Due to pretrial publicity, the jury was selected from Delaware County and transported to Harrisburg for the proceedings.
A Pattern of Legal Troubles
McKnight has had previous brushes with misconduct allegations. She was suspended without pay in November 2023 by the Court of Judicial Discipline, which oversees judicial behavior in Pennsylvania.
In September 2023, the Judicial Conduct Board alleged that she violated probation from an earlier case involving her interference in a 2020 traffic stop concerning her son. She was acquitted of any criminal wrongdoing in that matter.
In a separate 2019 incident, McKnight shot her estranged husband after inviting him over to help move furniture. Prosecutors did not file charges, citing self-defense as the reason for declining prosecution, according to reporting by Pennlive.com.
McKnight’s conviction marks a significant fall from grace for a sitting magistrate judge and raises new questions about judicial accountability, especially in cases involving domestic violence and abuse of power.
