Denied

A federal judge Tuesday rejected an attempt by two former Luzerne County judges to indefinitely delay a series of civil lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the kids-for-cash corruption scandal.

U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo issued an order denying requests from former Judges Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. and Michael T. Conahan to postpone deadlines for pre-trial filings in the civil cases until after their criminal prosecutions are completed.

Caputo said judges' requests did not mesh with established law, which prohibits indefinite delays except in cases where the judges could be compromising their criminal defenses by filing required paperwork.

The civil lawsuits were filed in February on behalf of thousands of juveniles sentenced by Ciavarella during the life of an alleged corruption scheme - from 2003 to May 2008.

Full Article and Source:
Judge Denies Request From Ciavarella, Conahan

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