2 Pa. judges to plead guilty to public corruption

[Robbien]

Source: AP

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - Two Luzerne County judges are headed for federal prison.

Federal authorities say President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan were involved in a $2.6 million scheme to place juvenile offenders into facilities in which the judges had a financial interest.

Court documents state that in some cases, Ciavarella ordered children into detention even when juvenile probation officers did not recommend it.

The two have agreed to plead guilty to honest services fraud and tax fraud. Their plea agreements call for sentences of more than seven years in federal prison. They have agreed to step down from the bench.

Read more: http://www.whptv.com/news/state/story/2-Pa-judges-to-plead-guilty-to-public-corruption/VwDCCDqJ0kyNohSXYR4hvw.cspx

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[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Horrible, what some people will do for money. Vigilance is essential. n/t

[Shardik]

2. News of shit like this makes me sick

And angry.

Hope you don't mind, I posted a link to your thread in GD. I feel it should be seen and discussed. :thumbsup:

[aquart]

3. Prison for profit was never a good idea.

Another privatization catastrophe.

[tbyg52]

11. Nor education, nor healthcare. nt

[Blue_Tires]

32. nor utilities

[slay]

13. Indeed - Never, ever EVER should we allow people to profit off prisons

It's just sickening.

[The Wizard]

29. Vonnegut discussed this

in "Hokus Pocus" back in 91. Funny how life imitates art. Literature is generally ten years ahead of the times. It's looking for answers that are not addressed by the current Zeitgeist.

[xiamiam]

31. Cheney up to his eyeballs ...

[Divine Discontent]

4. federal prison is perfect for these two "judges"....

what a HORRIBLY hurtful scam they were running. Sending juveniles to detention when probation officers didn't recommend it, so they could look tough on crime, but when in reality, by sending nearly all kids there - they profited from the overflow! My goodness - what a sick thing... See, privatizing the prisons PAID OFF for them! well, thankfully these two were caught...

[Divernan]

18. They'll do time at one of the posh Club Feds, where the guards wear blazers

and the inmates play squash and bridge, and live in cottages on manicured lawns. I had to take a deposition of an attorney convicted of fraud and sentenced to one of these Club Feds. His bridge partner was former West Virginia governor, Arch Moore. He had a different group get-together every night. There was the Alcoholics Anonymous group, the Gamblers Anonymous Group, and so on. Of course, the taxpayers pay a lot more than the standard $40,000 a year per prisoner (which the privatized prisons are collecting) when you have to pay for all this small group therapy, athletic facilities, better food, etc.
Notice that these two were the President Judge (elected by his fellow judges to that position) and a Senior Judge, ie, someone who'd been on the bench a LONG time. These small Pennsylvania County court systems are crawling with Good Ole Boys in robes.

[Divine Discontent]

20. wow... just sickening... words escape. thanks though for the comment eom

[fascisthunter]

21. indeed... it's time the public sees it and knows it

[davidinalameda]

25. Arch Moore was a poster boy for political corruption

I really don't like that man

I'm originally from West Virginia as well

I was still living there when he was FINALLY sentenced to prison

[NBachers]

26. I spent time at these "posh Club Feds"

I caught a seven year beef. I can tell you've never been down, so I'll clue you in to something: Time is time, no matter where you do it. Rats are rats, pigs are pigs, brutality and death exist, corruption exists; there's no one to listen if you need to expose some egregious institutional atrocity; the life you know outside ceases to exist, and it will not be there after you get out; years pile up behind you and stretch out ahead of you; disease gets passed around and medical care is deplorable; toxicity abounds; you are under the constant thumb of anal regressive incompetents with scores to settle against you; and so the fuck what if there are theraputic or educational opportunities?

"Better food?" Some of the lower-security institutions have their food prepared by an adjoining penetentiary. The lifers in the penetentiary figure everyone in the lower-security joint is a rat. Ya don't want to know what they've done to the food they ship out to you. You really don't.

Oh yeah, and that "taxpayers money" bit? Chances are good you'll end up with a full-time institutional slave job making money either for the prison, or for some company that's contracted your labor.

Why not check in to one of these "posh Club Feds" sometime yourself? I'm sure you'd have a great time. Then you can read all the snide shit people write about the cushy resort you're living in.

[dorkulon]

33. Boo fucking hoo.

You still haven't clarified why you deserved better (sorry, but as bad as it is, it's better) than other prisoners?

[NBachers]

36. Where did I say "I deserved better than other prisoners?"

Your response has absolutely nothing to do with the statements I made.

I was pointing out common misperceptions being promulgated by Diverman. He's stating that doing time at a "posh Club Fed" is like a posh vacation at Club Med. I can assure you, it's not like that.

He hasn't been there; he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Instead of pretending that I said "I deserved better than other prisoners," which I did not say, try proving my statements are factually incorrect if you want to disagree with those statements. Deal with the information in my post instead of attacking me personally.

Prison is prison; time is time, no matter where you do it.

[JPZenger]

30. That is the key

If they had simply taken money from one provider vs. another, that would be one thing. However, reportedly they sent kids to this detention center when it was not recommended.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. I grew up with Mike Conahan

I cannot believe this. We were kids together - his cousin was one of my best little friends. We spent summers playing together.

And now this? His family is wonderful - his father and mother were absolutely terrific people.

What on earth happens to people to make them do something like this? I've seen it all my life - although this cuts closer than other stories - and I never, ever get used to it. Never.

He's thrown his whole life, and that of his family, away.

[barbtries]

38. i've got one word for you

greed.

it will destroy the human race if not checked.

[peacetalksforall]

6. Ok, tell us. Did these Judges run on a Republican ticket or do they claim they

are Republican. Hope not Dems.

I equate prisons with Republicans - Wackenhut - others I've been readinga about - what we're talking about is privatization of prisons, unless they're Federal.

Does it cross your mind that they were looking at more profit or were they looking a juveniles 'serving' the prison?

This country is becoming filthy. We've got to turn this around. The most we, as readers, can contribute frequently - is exposure and dissemination.

[Blue Dog Dominion]

28. They are Democrats

http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2009/01/27/news/wb_voice.20090127.t.pg5.cv27cdjudgesciavarella_s1.2260373_top3.txt

[stillcool]

7. money, money, money..

read recently about prisoners being under-fed because the warden skimmed off the top of the food budget to line his pockets. I can not even imagine how much shit goes down that will never see the light of day.

[annabanana]

8. happy to k&r for visibility

[scarletwoman]

9. k&r. (nt)

[Tindalos]

10. This is highly disturbing

Imho, prisons shouldn't be run for profit at all but what those judges did is disgusting. They deserve to be in prison for that. See how they like it.

[tbyg52]

12. Gives new meaning to the term "scumbags." nt

[DCKit]

14. Nah, just a modern definition.

As a PA native, I am ashamed and hope these two are fully prosecuted on every count of false imprisonment, judicial misconduct and anything else that can be thrown at them.

[sasquatch]

15. Sick fucks

[intheflow]

16. Disgusting.

What scum.

[spag68]

17. Bad Judges

Wait a minute, that last sentence,"They have agreed to step down from the bench". Do you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Step down, a good idea, but where are the other owners of the send them off campaign? Those that ran the facilities should be looked at too.

[Politicalboi]

19. I hope they get sued too

It's not enough to just send them to jail. Take away their money. All of it. Just like they would do to a drug dealer. It's ill gotten money. And give the money to the victims.

[20score]

22. K&R

[Lugnut]

23. Good riddance.

These two arrogant crooks have been stinking up Luzerne Co for way too long.

[JPZenger]

41. Here's link to much more info on these scandals

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=175x14997

[earcandle]

24. As the world turns, the crime industry and all of its victims and perpetrators

will be brought into the light of day, and stand to receive
their just compensations and sentences in turns.

[acmavm]

27. And the icing on the cake? It was KIDS that they were incarcerating. KIDS.

What gutless, greedy fucks.

[pleah]

34. K&R I hope they rot in prison.

[rjwin]

35. Slavery By Another Name

It is interesting that so many are surprised by this. It is always at our expense that fortunes are made and careers are built!

[barbtries]

37. prisons should not be

for profit.

[razza]

39. rampant abuse

It's not only these judges. Probate court judges in every state are abusing the system when they declare a person 'incapacitated' on extremely flimsy evidence, this evidence being sanctioned by court-appointed lackeys. Then the lawyers and 'guardians' go in and strip these now-declared 'wards' of their civil rights in order to steal their estates. This happens quite frequently in the elder population, but anyone of any age with assets to steal may fall victim to this white collar crime. Once in guardianship there are few ways out. It is sickening, it is a growing problem and it is another 'legal' way to grab the people's wealth.

[JPZenger]

40. This was an elaborate scheme over a long time

This was not simply a case where someone flashed a briefcase full of cash to get one decision in their favor. The judges set up dummy corporations to receive the money.