SCRANTON – For more than a decade, federal prosecutors say, Mark Ciavarella perpetrated a “profound evil” upon juveniles in Luzerne County, unjustly incarcerating them as part of a scheme to enrich himself.
On Thursday, the tables turned against the 61-year-old former judge as he found himself on the receiving end of a 28-year prison sentence that in all likelihood assures he will spend essentially the rest of his life in prison. He was also ordered to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution. Continue reading…
MHAPA, along with 39 other local and national organizations and legal experts, has joined the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) in opposing the Proposed Rule 152 on waiver of counsel for juveniles. The Proposed Rule allows for juveniles to waive their right to counsel based on certain criteria. In a comment to the Proposed Rule 152, written by the JLC and signed by MHAPA and others, the JLC urges the PA Juvenile Court Procedural Rules Committee to instead propose, and the Supreme Court to adopt, a rule that simply and unequivocally prohibits waiver of counsel by juveniles in juvenile court (see page 14 of the Comment). Only by prohibiting waiver can Pennsylvania protect children’s rights to fair proceedings and guarantee that Pennsylvania ends justice by geography.
Click here to read the JLC’s full comment.
The Rules Committee meets in May and will then make a recommendation to the Supreme Court, which may adopt the rule within weeks or take more time before doing so.
Luzerne Judge Found Guilty – Will “Pay the Piper”
On Friday, February 18, a federal jury in Scranton convicted former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella of 12 counts, including racketeering and conspiracy, and acquitted him of 27 counts, including extortion. In a corruption case that garnered international attention, federal prosecutors accused Ciavarella of taking more than $2 million in bribes from the builder of the PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care detention centers and extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Robert Schwartz, Executive Director of the Juvenile Law Center (JLC), which represented many of the victims in this corruption scandal, commented on the conviction, saying: “The children and families of Luzerne County have seen today that the rule of law matters, and that even a person who has worn a judge’s robe must pay the piper.”
It’s been more than three years since families contacted the JLC to complain about Luzerne County’s Juvenile Court process, where children were being sent away to juvenile justice facilities after a two-minute hearing for usually very minor violations. Two elected county judges were eventually prosecuted by the FBI, along with others, including the owners of a juvenile detention facility. The former judges Ciavarella and Michael Conahan initially accepted a plea bargain. Ciavarella backed out of the plea, opting instead for the trial.
Continue reading this entry »
The federal corruption trial of former judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. began yesterday. Read more about the trial and a recap of the first day, which included jury selection.
On February 5, Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll announced the formation of youth aid panels within Luzerne County that may keep first-time juvenile offenders out of the juvenile system.
The panels are a community-based juvenile diversion program that will provide an opportunity for first-time, non-violent juveniles to be referred to a citizen and community based panel as an alternative to immediate adjudication through the juvenile justice system. The process will begin with the selection of panels for the Hazleton Area and Wyoming Valley West school districts, the largest school districts in the county.
Applications will be accepted until Feb. 25 from members of the community, and interviews will take place in March.
How to apply
To request an application, call Bob Stevens at 570-825-1674 or e-mail him at bob.stevens@luzernecounty.org.
Applicants will be required to commit to one year of service and must be 18 or older and live in Luzerne County. Applicants will be asked to complete an application, provide three references and undergo a criminal background check and a PA Child Abuse Clearance. Application deadline: February 25, 2011.
For more information
