Judges Busted For Betraying Kids And Gaining Financial Reward

The story starts with two very prominent judges from Pennsylvania. One is Mark Ciavarella, who is former Judge of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The other is Michael Conahan, a former judge from Luzerne County Pennsylvania.

These two cohorts worked together in unison for financial profit, at the despair of thousands of kids. The case is known as the Kids for cash scandal, which unfolded in the year of 2008. Despite the heeded warnings from many, the scandal had begun as early as 2000.

Both judges, Judge Ciavarella and Judge Conahan accepted money from the co-owner and builder of two private, for-profit juvenile facilities, in return for contracting with the facilities and imposing harsh sentences on juveniles brought before their courts in order to ensure that the detention centers would be utilized.

These judges were literally sending thousands of juveniles to two private detention centers for the reward of $2.6 million. Early on in the year of 2009, the two judges’ luck had run out (NY Times).

According to the NY Times article, the judges made so much money from the crimes committed, that they were struggling to hide the money. They bought a condominium in Florida to funnel the money; the cost was $785,000.

And parked in front of the condo was a 56-foot yacht owned by a friend, Robert J. Powell, who was a close lawyer friend to one of the judges. Ironically, the name of the yacht – Reel Justice.

Powell paid his judge buddies more than $770,000 in kickbacks for facilitating the development of two privately owned juvenile detention centers — Pennsylvania Child Care in Pittston Township and Western Pa. Child Care in Butler County. Powell was charged in July of 2009 as being an accessory to the scandal (thetimes-tribune).

In September of 2009, both judges got hit with 48 counts by a federal grand jury. The charges: racketeering, extortion, bribery, money laundering, fraud and tax violations. Prosecutors demanded payment of the money made from criminal activities, $2.8 million worth of proceeds (The Times Leader).

In May of 2011, former Judge Ciavarella was denied appeals and he now faces a likely sentence of 15 or more years in prison. Former Judge Conahan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (citizensvoice).

Both corrupt judges have been found guilty of the Kids-For-Cash scandal by a jury in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Thousands of innocent juveniles had been wrongfully tried and convicted (CBS News – YouTube). One parent felt angry because even though the judges were convicted, they still got to walk away. The mother said that her daughter was less fortunate – she had to walk away in chains and shackles.

The U.S. has the world’s biggest prison population. Makes one wonder how many other dodgy judges are there like this in America? How often does this behavior occur? Does this advancing the hidden agenda describe the true norms in America?

Are prisons making a killing?