Judicial kickbacks case in Pennsylvania
The Luzerne County Courthouse is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The kids for cash scandal centered on judicial kickbacks to two judges at the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania , US.[ 1] In 2008, judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella were convicted of accepting money in return for imposing harsh adjudications on juveniles to increase occupancy at a private prison operated by PA Child Care .[ 2]
Ciavarella disposed thousands of children to extended stays in youth centers for offenses as trivial as mocking an assistant principal on Myspace or trespassing in a vacant building.[ 3] After a judge rejected an initial plea agreement in 2009,[ 4] [ 5] a federal grand jury returned a 48-count indictment .[ 6] In 2010, Conahan pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison .[ 7] Ciavarella opted to go to trial the following year. He was convicted on 12 of 39 counts and sentenced to 28 years in federal prison.[ 8]
In the wake of the scandal, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned hundreds of adjudications of delinquency in Luzerne County.[ 9] The Juvenile Law Center filed a class action lawsuit against the judges and numerous other parties,[ 10] and the Pennsylvania state legislature created a commission to investigate juvenile justice problems in the county.[ 11]
^ Urbina, Ian (March 27, 2009). "Despite Red Flags, Judges Ran Kickback Scheme for Years" . The New York Times . Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit No. 11-3277: United States of America v. Mark Ciavarella, Jr., Appellant" (PDF) . United States Courts . May 24, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ Chen, Stephanie (February 23, 2009). "Pennsylvania rocked by 'jailing kids for cash' scandal" . CNN . Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "Federal Officials Announce the Filing of Federal Fraud and Tax Charges Against Two Luzerne County Common Pleas Courts Judges in an On-going Public Corruption Probe" . U.S. Department of Justice . January 26, 2009. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ Kosik, Edwin (July 30, 2009). "Memorandum and Order, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania" (PDF) . The New York Times . Retrieved September 14, 2018 .
^ Morgan-Besecker, Terrie (September 10, 2009). "Ex-judges hit with 48 counts" . Times Leader . Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "Former Luzerne judge Conahan sentenced to 17.5 years" . The Scranton Times-Tribune . September 23, 2011. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "Pennsylvania judge gets 28 years in 'kids for cash' case" . NBC News . August 11, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "Court Tosses Convictions of Corrupt Judge" . CBS News . Associated Press. March 26, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "H.T. et al. v. Mark A. Ciavarella, Jr., et al" . Juvenile Law Center . Retrieved January 25, 2018 .
^ "Governor Rendell Signs Bill Creating Commission to Probe Juvenile Justice System" . PR Newswire . August 7, 2009. Archived from the original on September 2, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2018 .