Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > News Items
Jailing Kids For Cash
Ursus:
Judge Mark Ciavarella defends himself. Somehow he manages to omit any mention of his rulings as head of juvenile court.
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Corruption at the Courthouse: Ciavarella Fires Back
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Monday, Feb 9, 2009 @06:30pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- An embattled Luzerne County judge fires back about allegations he made improper court decisions. Judge Mark Ciavarella is heading to prison on federal fraud charges. Now Ciavarella says he wants to set the record straight.
Judge Mark Ciavarella admits he disgraced his judgeship and he blames himself. But he says he will not stand by and let misinformation be put out about policy decisions he made while president judge.
We obtained a copy of a two page letter sent by Judge Mark Ciavarella to President Judge Chester Muroski. It challenges some of the statements that have come out of the courthouse since Ciavarella and Judge Michael Conahan were charged by federal prosecutors.
Ciavarella claims he never made decisions without other judges knowing about it. That includes the lawsuit against the county commissioners involving budget cutbacks in the court system. That lawsuit was withdrawn last Friday by Judge Muroski.
Judge Ciavarella especially takes issue with claims that he changed the sentences of inmates without the knowledge of the original sentencing judges. Some of those involved were supposedly violent criminals.
Judge Olszewski raised concerns for public safety in that probation program, that he and other judges called secret. "I have serious concerns about violent felons being released form prison prior to their sentenced being served," he told Eyewitness News.
Judge Muroski also released a statement saying he will not publicly debate Ciavarella, but he and the other judges are working to restore the public trust in the court.
Nowhere in that letter does Ciavarella talk about decisions he made as the head of juvenile court. Those decisions got him into big trouble. The feds say he and Judge Michael Conahan took kickbacks and sent kids to detention, when they should not have been sent away.
Ciavarella and Conahan will appear in federal court this Thursday for formal arraignment.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
[Interjection: It is at this point in time that the article linked to the OP (and copied out in the post immediately thereafter) was published. That is, on Wed, February 11, 2009.]
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Another of Judge Mark Ciavarella's cronies bites the dust, this one through a simple layoff. County Director of Special Courts and Alternative Sentencing Sam Guesto was an appointee of Judge Ciavarella. Perhaps "alternative sentencing" entailed assistance in arrangements for that "secret probation parole program?"
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Layoffs Include Controversial Former County Manager
Reported by: Mike Trim
Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 @10:35pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Sam Guesto, the county Director of Special Courts and Alternative Sentencing is laid off. He came under fire because of another county controversy a year ago. But on Wednesday, he became part of 27 county employees laid off.
It will save the county his salary total of $78,000. It was a choice made by the county judicial system that laid off 27 staff members. Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla says, "Had it not happened in the courts, we would have had to go back to the other departments and make cuts again and really they can't afford any more cuts in their departments."
Guesto was appointed by suspended Luzerne County judge Mark Ciavarella. Before the appointment, Guesto came under fire while serving at his former position, County Manager.
He was one of several county officials who racked up thousands of dollars in unapproved county debit card charges in 2007.
Most of the county layoffs though are in the probation department. 11 are laid off, and we're told one probation employee worked his position for 25 years. Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak said, "They have families like all of us and in these uncertain economic times there's a lot of stress in ones life and now that they lost their job I can only imagine. I hope they can get back on their feet."
Other than layoffs, eight current vacant positions in court administration will not be filled.
It's all to help get Luzerne county out of debt. The county says these layoffs will save about 2.1million dollars.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
The judges head into court February 12, 2009 to plead guilty to corruption related charges... Apparently some higher ups in the probation department already got axed, and there's more to come... Luzerne County begins to learn the details of how much this has cost them...
This article aired prior to the hearing:
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Judges in Court Today as New Details Emerge
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 @11:30am EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Former Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan made a quick entrance into the William J. Nealon Federal Building in Scranton this morning around 9:45. They arrived for their preliminary hearing set for 1:00 P.M.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Zubrod is the lead prosecutor in the federal corruption case. Under a plea agreement, the two judges would serve more than 7-years in prison on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud.
Eyewitness News I-Team reporters Andy Mehalshick and Joe Holden were the only local TV reporters on the steps of the federal courthouse as the two arrived. The judges had nothing to say as they headed inside to begin the process of pleading guilty to corruption related charges.
Meanwhile new details on the scandal emerged Wednesday. The draft of a proposed state audit has surfaced on one of the two detention centers in the middle of Luzerne County's corruption scandal.
The report claims Luzerne County was billed more than $500,000 to Western PA Child Care. That includes payments to the facility's ex co-owner, Robert Powell, and money for trips to the NCAA tournament and the King of Prussia Mall.
Powell's attorney says the expenses in question are inaccurate.
And Luzerne County is cutting dozens of more jobs. President Judge Chester Muroski says 11 probation officers will be laid-off effective Friday. Additional employees will be notified of their layoffs then too.
The Probation Services Director and the Fiscal Director in Probation have been fired. Nearly 20 vacant positions in the Luzerne County court system will not be filled.
Judge Muroski says the cuts will reduce the 2009 court budget by $2.1-million. Ciavarella had filed a lawsuit against the county resisting the cutbacks. That suit was dropped when Ciavarella resigned.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Corrupt Judges in Court
Reported by: Eric Scheiner
Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 @09:53pm EST
WILKES-BARRE-- Corrupt judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan finally pleaded guilty to taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks for placing juvenile offenders into youth detention facilities.
The plea deal with federal prosecutors will mean the two will each remain behind bars for at least 7 years.
Federal officials say more indictments are coming as they continue to investigate. How deep does the corruption go?
The teens that were sentenced by these former judges are getting their cases reviewed, some records may be expunged. Class action law suits are expected to be filed by families of these teens and Luzerne County may be forced to make payments. Should the judges have to pay reimbursement to the county as well?
An audit of Western PA Child Care, one of the juvenile facilities connected to the judges kickback scheme, found that over $2 million dollars in questionable fees were charged to taxpayers. Should the judges have to make restitution for these funds as well?
WYOU Interactive discusses the issue with Lourdes Rosado of the Juvenile Law Center and Investigative Reporter Andy Mehalshick.
[Local news video coverage of the above story accessible from title link.]
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Sentenced Teens React to Guilty Pleas
Reported by: Joe Holden
Thursday, Feb 12, 2009 @10:40pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY - Most are pleased that the judges were arraigned on the charges they were expected to be charged with. But that still doesn't change their opinions on this courthouse corruption.
This is Jeff Klinges and Tim Seabridge of Kingston. They say they were unfairly sentenced by suspended Judge Mark Ciavarella.
Jeff Klinges, of Kingston says, "What goes around comes around, you know? I mean, you can't be a public official like that and just expect to get away with things like that, you know?"
Tim Seabridge, of Kingston says, "It's happening to him what happened to us."
Klinges and Seabridge say they were rushed through their court hearing in 2007. Klinges was sentenced to house arrest and Seabridge to a juvenile detention facility in Jim Thorpe. Both say they were rushed through their hearings and not allowed access to a public defender.
Klinges adds, "Our parents were there and they pretty much said if we didn't have one that they could defend us. And I guess you're not supposed to do that. He let us go the whole trial with just our parents."
Seabridge adds, "I wanted a lawyer, they just wouldn't give me one and he told me I have to sign it or he was going to go on without it. So that was Ciavarella."
According to the Pennsylvania law center, Ciavarella skipped necessary juvenile court cases. But with the suspended judge's guilty plea, both Klinges and Seabridge are happy it won't happen to anyone else.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
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