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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's ethics court for judges has summoned a suspended Supreme Court justice to a Pittsburgh courtroom for a hearing Thursday that could resolve charges that his email practices violated conduct rules for judges. The Court of Judicial Discipline on Tuesday scheduled the hearing just a day after lawyers for Justice Michael Eakin and the Judicial Conduct Board filed a joint motion that said they wanted the court to consider "additional proposed stipulations," or facts that everyone can agree on. They said an updated stipulation could lead to a resolution of the charges against Eakin. Lawyers for both sides chose their words carefully after the order was issued, but indicated the matter may soon be over. "It's a possibility," said Frank Puskas, a lawyer for the board that prosecutes judicial misconduct allegations. "We'll see." Eakin faces possible removal from the bench after sending emails that included discussion of visiting a strip club and sexual innuendo about a female court employee. The Republican and former Cumberland County district attorney has been on the high court since 2002. "I will not dispute what (Puskas) says, nor will I embellish on what he had said," said Eakin attorney Bill Costopoulos. "I can tell you the Court of Judicial Discipline is very sensitive to anything that is said outside of the courtroom." The motion, signed by Puskas and Costopoulos and filed Monday, described efforts in recent weeks by Philadelphia lawyer Dick Sprague, appointed by the court to act as a mediator. "The parties understand that acceptance of such proposed stipulations and proposed resolution, once presented in open court, is at the discretion of the court," they wrote. Costopoulos said the Court of Judicial Discipline has made it clear the facts will be laid out in public. "I do believe that Thursday will be an important proceeding, and I do believe that everything will be aired at that time," he said. Eakin was first linked to a salacious email-swapping scandal in late 2014, by fellow justice Seamus McCaffery, who was suspended by his fellow jurists and then abruptly retired. Eakin met with a board investigator and answered written questions before the board voted to clear him, but this fall Attorney General Kathleen Kane made public more emails and the board launched a fresh investigation. Eakin was charged by the board in December with bringing the court system into disrepute by exchanging emails that someone of "reasonable sensibilities" would consider offensive. He's apologized for what he described as insensitive emails but argued they were not intended to be made public and should not merit discipline. During testimony at a five-hour hearing in December to determine if he should stand trial, a sometimes tearful Eakin apologized, blamed news accounts for sensationalism and argued his job performance wasn't affected. He was subsequently suspended and a trial was set for March 29 in Philadelphia. "Perhaps my demeanor is one of the boys," Eakin testified in December. "But what I sent was to people who were also one of the boys. It was in the locker room. I allowed, I created something that could be released. Shame on me and it won't happen again."

Justice's ethics case could be resolved at Thursday hearing