As part of the efforts to right the wrongs of in the Luzerne County Juvenile Justice corruption scandal, the County announced on August 24 that they will fund a new juvenile unite within their Public Defender’s Office. At a news conference, Chief Public Defender Al Flora announced the unit will have three full-time attorneys, and a caseworker. The county scandal centered on judges taking money for placing children in a residential facility they had secret ties to. Most of the children should have received community treatment and this injustice occurred in large part because they did not have proper if any representation. The new unit will serve all children brought before the juvenile court.
Highlights of the new unit include:
- Attorneys will receive extensive training on representing children.
- Parental income will not be considered.
- Children will have the same attorney for the duration of case.
- The unit will comply with nationally recognized standards of no more than 200 cases a year for each attorney.
- Attorneys will continue the new policy already in place that they meet with the child and family before the hearing, and have contact through all juvenile justice processes. This is a change from the old practice that when a child did have representation, they often met with their attorney for the first time only minutes before the hearing.
Additionally, it was announced that the children will now have a separate waiting room at court. Previously they shared the same room as all the adults coming in for court that day.
More Information:
A Report for the Governor, Legislature, and Courts and the Public.
On May 27, the PA Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice (ICJJ) issued its much-anticipated report about the “kids for cash” scandal in Luzerne County. The Commission was created in 2009 by an act of the General Assembly, with the support of the Governor and the Supreme Court, to determine how the Luzerne County juvenile justice system failed; restore public confidence in the administration of justice; and prevent similar events from happening again.
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The Interbranch Commission released its long awaited report and recommendations on the Juvenile Justice System in PA today. Children’s News will react to the report in the following weeks on this blog. In the meantime, read media coverage of the report:
On tomorrow’s Radio Times (WHYY 91 FM), Commission Chair Judge John M. Cleland, senior judge of Pennsylvania Superior Court, and Marsha Levick, Esq., Deputy Director, Chief Counsel and co-founder of Philadelphia’s Juvenile Law Center, and one of two lawyers who discovered and blew the whistle on the judicial corruption in Luzerne County, will discuss the report.
Many dedicated organizations have been working tirelessly to help the Luzerne County community recover from the juvenile justice scandal and to make the much-needed changes to prevent such devastation from happening again anywhere in the Commonwealth. Starting at the end of May, the Advocacy Alliance will hold confidential, therapeutic support groups in Luzerne County for youth and families disaffected by the Luzerne County juvenile justice scandal. There will be one for parents/guardians and one for older adolescents and young adults. Anyone interested in attending the support groups can get further information by calling the toll-free Juvenile Justice Support Line 1-888-558-3203.
On May 17, Radio Smart Talk, a live radio program out of Harrisburg, PA focused on juvenile justice. The show featured Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin Hess, who tries juveniles, and Cumberland County Deputy Public Defender Ron Turo, who defends them.
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