During the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's argument session Wednesday in Philadelphia over whether a supervising grand jury judge had the power to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged leaks of grand jury secrets by state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, several justices peppered the special prosecutor with questions on the specifics of how he'd been appointed and how his investigation was handled.

Kane's challenge in the case, In re 35th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury,comes after the grand jury overseen by supervising Judge William R. Carpenter recommended she face perjury, false swearing, official oppression and obstruction charges stemming from the alleged leaks. Carpenter had appointed Thomas E. Carluccio to investigate reports of the leaked grand-jury material.

During the arguments, Justice Correale F. Stevens asked Carluccio several times if there had been ex parte communications between Carluccio and Carpenter, and about what Carluccio thought the role of the Supreme Court was in the matter.