by KYW's Tony Romeo

The former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has been sued over the court’s ruling on the state gaming law and a pay raise for judges that was passed three years ago.

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has filed suit in federal court against former Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ralph Cappy (in file photo at right), alleging three counts of violation of due process of law.

In its complaint, the league asserts that Cappy made a comment to one or more members of the legislature during secret negotiations on the pay raise that he “needed the pay raise to secure the votes of Republican justices” on cases important to lawmakers.

The complaint alleges that Cappy was directly referring to litigation challenging the constitutionality of the state gaming law, in which the League of Women Voters was involved.

The gaming law was passed in July 2004, and the state Supreme Court largely upheld the law in a ruling issued in June 2005.