Citizens of the Year Uncovered Corrupt Judicial System in Luzerne

[JPZenger]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq_ed_board/80414212.html

Phil. Inquirer Editorial

Excerpts:

"The lawyers filed individual petitions to free juveniles from detention, and were winning their cases. But as the scope of the problem became clear, Rosado and Levick filed a rare request with the state Supreme Court in spring 2008, asking the justices to serve as a trial court in the hope they could stop the judicial abuses and win relief for hundreds of kids. The state attorney general and Department of Public Welfare joined the request.

For months, they heard nothing. In December 2008, Levick and Rosado again asked the court for a ruling. Two weeks later, the Supreme Court denied their petition without explanation. No justice even bothered to sign the one-page rejection. “It was a huge disappointment,” Levick said. “But this was our mission, and we were not going to let these kids down.”

Less than a month later, the FBI filed charges against Ciavarella and Conahan, exposing their alleged for-profit scheme. Armed with that information, Levick and Rosado went back to the state Supreme Court, and finally the court took up their case.

Looking back, the lawyers still express shock at what Levick calls “a vast conspiracy of silence” among Luzerne County officials, including the district attorney and public defender, for allowing the abuses of the juvenile court system to go on for so many years. “These were not bad kids,” Levick said. “It was greed, it was the most extraordinary abuse of power without regard for the families and the kids.”

[Number9Dream]

1. Conspiracy of silence included PA Supreme Court

"Two weeks later, the Supreme Court denied their petition without explanation. No justice even bothered to sign the one-page rejection." That reeks of corruption!

Pennsylvania government is a national embarrassment. In 2009, being the last state to pass a budget was shameful. PennDOT has always been and continues to be one of the worst run organizations in the world. This article just added the PA Supreme Court to our Hall of Shame.

[blue neen]

2. This story is very disturbing and frightening.

This is our corrupt state government, folks. Scary, indeed.