Pa. Throws Out Corrupt Judge's Convictions

(CBS/AP)  A top court has dismissed thousands of juvenile convictions issued by a judge charged in a corruption scandal.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday threw out more than five years' worth of cases heard by former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella. He is charged with accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks to send youths to private detention centers.

The court says that all the convictions are tainted and that the youths may not be retried.

The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center represents some of the youths and says the court's order covers more than 6,000 cases.

Last month, Ciavarella and former Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan were indicted on federal racketeering charges.

Conahan and Ciavarella had pleaded guilty in February to honest services fraud and tax evasion in a deal with prosecutors that called for a sentence of 87 months in prison, far below federal guidelines. But the deal was rejected last month by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Kosik, who said the two hadn't fully accepted responsibility for the crimes, and the ex-judges switched their pleas to not guilty.

The indictment marked a dramatic escalation in the government's pursuit of the disgraced judges. The charges include racketeering, fraud, money laundering, extortion, bribery and federal tax violations and could bring decades in prison. It indictment also seeks the forfeiture of at least $2.8 million, "which is alleged to be the proceeds of the charged criminal activity," according to a news release issued by the U.S. attorney's office in Harrisburg.

[GertrudeGettinger]

Victims of UNETHICAL judges are forming support groups on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/robertagettinger and by contacting avivakbobb.com people are being murdered for profit by judges who turn their cheek when unethical lawyers break the law. Aviva K. Bobb is just one of many judges who LIE, ignore crimes against seniors, allow drugging and falsify documents. Bobb influences police to stop whistle blowers who contact authorities and inform them of her unethical behavior. See avivakbobb.com Richard Fine a lawyer who exposed judge David P. Yaffe for accepting bribes had Fine jailed for 18 months in an attempt to shut him up. Judges are abusing the law to abuse Americans in every state and city. You may not know this as most cases are hidden behind court room walls. Unethcial, immoral and dishonest judges and lawyers are out of control.

[wdwflash]

Where do I report corruption by judges and attorneys. No one wants to investigate wide spread corruption in the judicial system in Washington state. I have evidence of everything. I am a 64 year old senior citizen and I fear for my life and well being because I've asked different agencies to investigate. Where do I turn, I have all the evidence.

[DaVicar8]

It's sad that these juvenile thugs all get a free pass just because the Judge was making a little change on the sidebar.
They should punish the judge...NOT the public!!!

[AttentionDeficit]

DaVicar: juvenile thugs? like the kid that criticized his high school principal? the judge WAS punishing the public by handing out excessively long sentences for kickbacks.

[presjfk]

Private business does not do everything better than the government. This is proof.

[Hosheen]

Ho-hum. Just another instance of how corrupt the so-called criminal "justice" system really is. If every cop, prosecutor, and judge that lied, invented or concealed evidence, or accepted bribes were jailed, there would be no justice system. The USA likes to point fingers at other countries and deride them for their "faults" while blithely ignoring their own crimes.

Hypocrisy, your name is America.

[bubbadubba]

Rush Limbaugh has been saying for a long time that private corporations do things better than the government and that we should contract out to them.
This is a prime example of what happens when you let private companies handle prisons for profit.
Like Limbaugh said this week about something Pelosi MIGHT do, HE needs to be held accountable for lying and misleading his followers.

[ianlou]

Yeah, Lush Limpstick thought Haliburton and Blackwater did a great job in Iraq also.

What a heavy duty tool he is.

[AttentionDeficit]

I don't know that this is limited to private prisons. Look at the opposition when the subject of marijuana legalization comes up. The cops are the first to belly up to the bar to oppose lessening their overtime, and money from asset seizures. Private or not, there is big money in locking people up.

[Aurelius56]

And what about the those private detention centers? Can you imagine the diabolic greed behind this ethos of paying judges (in the form of kickbacks) to imprison children for profit? Only in America! Is it any wonder why the U.S. has the highest incarcertation rate in the world? The for-profit prison industry should be shut down immediately. Those who have ever engaged in giving kickbacks should themselves be thrown into prison. The judges are small fish here, but nevertheless should keep the big fish company behind bars - for a very long time.

[mejordelahistoria]

This particular case was in the Michale Moore movie that just came out. I guess he is an outstanding director.

[greco99-2009]

What happened to the people who paid the bribes and made stacks of cash from the suffering of children?

[antoniof123]

What do you think?