Posted on 02/11/2009 2:54:05 PM PST by mgstarr
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – For years, the juvenile court system in Wilkes-Barre operated like a conveyor belt: Youngsters were brought before judges without a lawyer, given hearings that lasted only a minute or two, and then sent off to juvenile prison for months for minor offenses.
The explanation, prosecutors say, was corruption on the bench.
In one of the most shocking cases of courtroom graft on record, two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.
"I've never encountered, and I don't think that we will in our lifetimes, a case where literally thousands of kids' lives were just tossed aside in order for a couple of judges to make some money," said Marsha Levick, an attorney with the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, which is representing hundreds of youths sentenced in Wilkes-Barre.
Prosecutors say Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan took $2.6 million in payoffs to put juvenile offenders in lockups run by PA Child Care LLC and a sister company, Western PA Child Care LLC. The judges were charged on Jan. 26 and removed from the bench by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court shortly afterward.
No company officials have been charged, but the investigation is still going on.
The high court, meanwhile, is looking into whether hundreds or even thousands of sentences should be overturned and the juveniles' records expunged.
Among the offenders were teenagers who were locked up for months for stealing loose change from cars, writing a prank note and possessing drug paraphernalia. Many had never been in trouble before. Some were imprisoned even after probation officers recommended against it.
Many appeared without lawyers, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1967 ruling that children have a constitutional right to counsel.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“I’m a judge and I’m sickened by this. Please don’t paint us all with the same brush. I actually care about the youth who come before me.”
My experience, when my son ran afoul once, was pretty positive. I think one of the things I would like to see changed is to remove every temptation from the justice system by taking the collection of fines and fees away and turning it into the general fund. Ohio had to do that in several cases in which small towns existed only due to the police force and judge. (The town only had twelve residents not part of the government).
This wasn’t about fines and fees, it was about huge kickbacks for incarceration in privately run youth facilities.
“I’ll bet a corrupt judge is *very* popular in prison.”
Not only will he NOT go to prison he will probably get his full pension w/benefits. After all this is PA we are talking about.
Did you run across any information about what youth homes they were put in (other than Juvenille prisons)? What to see if there are any links with those.
Wow. Thanks, I just looked that up.
“Please don’t paint us all with the same brush. I actually care about the youth who come before me.”
Sorry. So did those two judges to the tune of what they could make off each child they sentenced.
Various judges I’ve stood before (I’m not a criminal - just property stuff, victim stuff, petty juvenile stuff (traffic tickets)) have all struck me as refreshingly decent.
How could these judges have been so cruel?
The Feds are handling this. He will go to prison and then some.
The Feds are corrupt, vindictive and agenda driven.
But they also get it right sometimes.
Yep. This was one of those times.
Isn't that Illegal? I wonder why this went on so long?
Just kidding!
Sort of.
Hypothetically speaking, though.....
..allow their victims each a few whacks with a baseball bat, perhaps?
Unfortunately they’re neither the first nor the last and from EITHER party. (D)’s and (R)’s don’t always matter in power and control matters. No guarantee of true philosophy or integrity, just electability.
Pretty incredible huh??? You’d think we ran a gulag system like the Soviets.
The plea agreement is heard by a Federal judge tomorrow. Supposedly they are going in for a little over 7 years, most likely in the Big House at Lewisburg (most "white collar" crimimals there are put in the "camp", a very low security section of the prison).
agreed.
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