Two Pennsylvania judges agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges accusing them of taking $2.6 million in kickbacks in return for placing juvenile offenders into certain detention facilities.
The plea agreements for Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan call for sentences of more than seven years in prison. Ciavarella resigned from the bench in a Jan. 23 letter to Gov. Ed Rendell. Conahan has agreed to resign within 10 days of a judge's acceptance of the plea.
Authorities say the judges took kickbacks between 2003 and 2007 in exchange for guaranteeing the placement of juvenile offenders into facilities operated by PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care LLC. In some cases, Ciavarella ordered children into detention even when juvenile probation officers did not recommend it.
Deron Roberts, chief of the FBI's Scranton office: "They sold their oaths of offices to the highest bidders."
Full Article and Source:
2 Pa. Judges to Plead Guilty to Public Corruption
See also:
Class Action Against Judges
"When Judges Stain Our Kids"
Kickback Scheme Judges Sued
Alleged Public Corruption
The plea agreements for Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan call for sentences of more than seven years in prison. Ciavarella resigned from the bench in a Jan. 23 letter to Gov. Ed Rendell. Conahan has agreed to resign within 10 days of a judge's acceptance of the plea.
Authorities say the judges took kickbacks between 2003 and 2007 in exchange for guaranteeing the placement of juvenile offenders into facilities operated by PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care LLC. In some cases, Ciavarella ordered children into detention even when juvenile probation officers did not recommend it.
Deron Roberts, chief of the FBI's Scranton office: "They sold their oaths of offices to the highest bidders."
Full Article and Source:
2 Pa. Judges to Plead Guilty to Public Corruption
See also:
Class Action Against Judges
"When Judges Stain Our Kids"
Kickback Scheme Judges Sued
Alleged Public Corruption
If they'll do it to children, they'll do it to the elderly too.
ReplyDeleteSelling children to their buddies prison camp is no different than selling out the old folks to nursing homes with all the middlemen getting a piece of the action.
ReplyDeleteThese greedy low life wolves wearing robes should get 10 times the punishment - the rest of their lives in PRISON!
Thank you for publishing this ongoing alarming situation which begins to break down the almightty protective thick wall of false perception of judicial moral character and fairness, how they arrive at their orders and decisions in the pursuit of justice in our courts .
ReplyDeleteI hope the authorities review ALL of the cases that touched the hands of these two evil judges who were motivated by power, control and GREED, going back many years if necessary to the date these criminals took the bench.
They deserve the harshest punishments - NO MERCY - life in prison with no chance of parole while working 7 days a week 12 hour days with their paychecks going into a fund for the victims.
All of their property and all of their assets should be seized and redirected to a fund for the victims of their unforgiveable crimes.
I cannot shake the intense feelings and thoughts that others, including those special people in the court loop knew, they must have known that something curious and suspicious was going on.
What did "they" know? When did "they" know it? And, what if anything did "they" do about it?
This is a very important story to follow and I appreciate NASGA following it.
ReplyDeleteThese judges exemplfy corruption.
20/20 did a story on Ciavarella and Conahan - mostly featuring Ciavarella. His arrogance was beyond unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteLuzerne County should be crawling with reporters - an opportunity for guardianship victims to tell their stories.
ReplyDeleteYou can bet the corrpution wasn't limited to these two bad apples!
I hope judges nationwide are put on notice by the events occuring in Luzerne County.
ReplyDeleteAccountability is coming!
Thanks to the INTERNET and informative blogs, especially this remarkable NASGA blog, the bright light is shining 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on those who are guilty, hiding behind the false veil of perception; those who have and are currently engaging in "pay to play" politics, dirty secrets and tactics while they are in this game for personal gain at our expense.
ReplyDeleteAs the needs arises for more prisons to cage thse low-life scumbags, including dirty judges, I say money well spend; build the prisons as fast as you can.
The toxic elements must be found and removed from their positions in particular giving those who live up to their oaths; those who wear their judicial robes with honor and pride an opportunity to hold their heads high.
I saw the 20/20 story too and the arrogance came right through the screen.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine how these two snakes can sleep a wink at night. They either destroyed, or almost destroyed, over 5,000 young lives.
I say throw them in jail with Charles Manson. They're made of the same cloth.