A federal judge has rejected the guilty pleas of former Luzerne County judges

[normanvin]

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-luz-judge-p...,4809993.story

Ciavarella, Conahan Pleas Rejected

4:44 PM EDT, July 31, 2009
A federal judge has rejected the guilty pleas of former Luzerne County judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella.

In court documents released late Friday afternoon, U.S.District Judge Edwin Kosik wrote given Conahan and Ciavarella's recent actions, the punishment previously agreed to may not be severe enough given their conduct.

The U.S. attorney is now looking into the case.

The former judges pleaded guilty back in Febraury in federal court in Scranton.


They admitted to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a $2.6 million kickback scheme for keeping a privately-run juvenile detention center up and running.

Now that those guilty pleas have been rejected by a federal judge, a court hearing will be scheduled on the matter at which time Conahan and Ciavarella will have an opportunity to take back their guilty pleas. If they don't take back those guilty pleas, Judge Kosik could give them a more serious sentence than originally agreed upon.

According to court documents, Conahan filed several objections to the pre-sentencing report. In Friday's ruling, Judge Kosik wrote Conahan, " attempted to obstruct and impede justice" and failed to take responsibility for what he had done.

The report also critcized former judge Ciavarella for making public apologies more for himself, than for his actions. The judge called such denials, "self serving and abundantly contradicted by the evidence."

Newswatch 16 will continue to follow this developing story and will have more information as it becomes available.

Copyright © 2009, WNEP-TV

[cgbudde]

Give them the max sentence allowed. When I saw this on the news last night I was hoping these 2 scumbags change their pleas and go to trial on all counts.

[normanvin]

Give them the max sentence allowed. When I saw this on the news last night I was hoping these 2 scumbags change their pleas and go to trial on all counts.

I think thats what the fed judge has in mind..

[cgbudde]

I think thats what the fed judge has in mind..

I think you are right.

Watching the news this morning it stated that Civerella was not taking responsibility for his role in the kids for cash scam that he was involved in, thats why he rejected these sentence agreements and he could give both these defendents 25yrs in prison.

I like this judge, I was watching Civerella speaking and he was making a big deal on how he did not plead guilty to trading these kids for cash and he challenged anyone to show him in the guilty plea where he pleaded to these charges. So I am glad he now has a choice to withdraw his plea and stand trial on all original charges or now accept the judges sentence which could be 25yrs.

[RandomTask]

Between this story and all the harassment posts here concerning folks being muscled by LEOs there, I'm beginning to feel that the entire Wilkes-Barre - Scranton area is a corrupt toilet.

[normanvin]

Between this story and all the harassment posts here concerning folks being muscled by LEOs there, I'm beginning to feel that the entire Wilkes-Barre - Scranton area is a corrupt toilet.

In the last six months to schools has been found to be selling teaching positions. The airport is also now under investigation. Drugs has been discovered in the sheriffs dept. vehicles twice in the last month.

[Hawkeye54]

Between this story and all the harassment posts here concerning folks being muscled by LEOs there, I'm beginning to feel that the entire Wilkes-Barre - Scranton area is a corrupt toilet.

We're still better than New Jersey or Chicago.