HARRISBURG — A top Pennsylvania Senate Democrat said Tuesday he and his Democratic colleagues want a state Supreme Court justice off the bench for allegedly exchanging explicit or offensive e-mails from a private account.

Senate Minority Whip Anthony Williams of Philadelphia said the e-mails either received or sent by Justice Michael Eakin should be enough for Eakin to voluntarily step down.

Eakin, a Republican, has apologized for what he called “insensitive” content in his private e-mail account, but Williams said the damage is done, citing e-mails that ridiculed women and minorities.

“I feel the pain of people who feel ... when they’re in front of a judge that they don’t necessarily have fair and equitable treatment and this only erodes that to the standard that they know they don’t have fair and equitable treatment,” said Williams, who held a news conference to comment on the judge and the e-mails.

It is inappropriate Eakin exchanged the e-mails with prosecutors, and the content was reprehensible, he said.

Eakin did not respond Tuesday to messages, seeking comment, left at his suburban Harrisburg office Tuesday.