Citing obstruction of justice, a federal judge rejected the plea agreement of two former Pennsylvania county judges who pleaded guilty in February to a kickback scheme that involved sending juveniles to private detention facilities.
The decision opens the way for the men to be sentenced by the judge directly or face a jury trial.
The ex-judges, Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. of the Luzerne County juvenile court and Michael T. Conahan of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud and income tax fraud for taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.
In a highly critical order, Judge Edwin M. Kosik of Federal District Court said he based his decision on the comments and conduct of the two men after they entered guilty pleas to serve 87 months in prison.
Full Article and Source:
Plea Agreement by 2 Judges Is Rejected in Pennsylvania
Federal District Court Order
See also:
Judges Plead Guilty
The decision opens the way for the men to be sentenced by the judge directly or face a jury trial.
The ex-judges, Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. of the Luzerne County juvenile court and Michael T. Conahan of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud and income tax fraud for taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.
In a highly critical order, Judge Edwin M. Kosik of Federal District Court said he based his decision on the comments and conduct of the two men after they entered guilty pleas to serve 87 months in prison.
Full Article and Source:
Plea Agreement by 2 Judges Is Rejected in Pennsylvania
Federal District Court Order
See also:
Judges Plead Guilty
10 comments:
Hopefully, this rejection of the plea opens the door for stiffer punishment of Mark A. Ciavarella Jr and Michael T. Conahan.
Wow! Wow! Judge Edwin M. Kosik of Federal District Court is my kind of law and order judge.
The defendants: Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. of the Luzerne County juvenile court and Michael T. Conahan of the Luzerne County Court of Common must be stunned - good, their behavior, criminal and outrageous activities deserve very harsh punishment.
This is a video moment a winner on AFV, bet their defense lawyers took this as good news bad news. The good news is: mega, mega attorney billing hours, the bad news: lots of trial prep and then watching their clients get dragged off to the federal pokey.
I am very interested and looking forward to reading how this proceeds.
This is justice at work!
I hope former Luzerne County judges Ciavarella and Conahan have packed their bags for a long stay in the big house!
What they did to kids, you know they did to vulnerable adults.
Keep digging Attorney General.
For Conahan this crime is just the tip of the iceberg. He's done plenty more that hasn't even been mentioned. So should he do 25 yrs for racketeering_ YES. Ciavarella is also guilty of racketeering; they were the top dogs overseeing the racketeering enterprise at Luzerne County Courthouse. Unless they get 25yrs. or close, it won't cut down on the corruption much; its too deeply embedded for too long.
What about the probate court crimes that Conahan so arrogantly enjoyed. He wasn't alone but he was at the top of the chain. Case fixing was his specialty. He enjoyed his position because it put him ABOVE THE LAW; he demonstrates the behavior, attitude & thought patterns of a CAREER CRIMINAL. Where are career criminals who are not judges _usually in prison; I hope.
They should be drawn and quartered and boiled in oil!
Wow! Real judges DO exist!
Ha, ha, ha, Ciavarella and Conahan.
The joke's on you!
I imagine many judges are very disappointed and want to see justice thrown at these two who disgraced their positions and put others in their profession in a different light.
I have a feeling others knew that Mark A. Ciavarella Jr and Michael T. Conahan were up to no good. We need to weed out those who knew what was going on but turned a blind eye or wanted in on the gig.
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