Bill Text: PA SR42 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Condemning the actions of former Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan for taking kickbacks from privately owned youth detention centers and urging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to exercise greater oversight of juvenile court proceedings.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-04-02 - Referred to JUDICIARY [SR42 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SR42-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 818
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 42 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY WASHINGTON, TARTAGLIONE, GREENLEAF, MUSTO, BROWNE, WILLIAMS, RAFFERTY, FERLO, EARLL, WAUGH, SMUCKER, PICCOLA, KITCHEN, FOLMER, LEACH AND WONDERLING, APRIL 2, 2009
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 2, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Condemning the actions of former Luzerne County Judges Mark
Ciavarella and Michael Conahan for taking kickbacks from
privately owned youth detention centers and urging the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court to exercise greater oversight of
juvenile court proceedings.
WHEREAS, Former Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and
Michael Conahan were charged on January 26, 2009, with taking
kickbacks from privately owned youth detention centers operated
as PA ChildCare LLC and Western PA ChildCare LLC, respectively;
and
WHEREAS, Prosecutors allege that Judges Ciavarella and
Conahan sent teenagers to these privately operated youth
detention centers in return for $2.6 million; and
WHEREAS, Many times, youth appeared before these two judges
without counsel, despite the constitutional right to counsel;
and
WHEREAS, The percentage of youth being sent to detention
centers was more than 25% in Luzerne County when sentenced by
Judge Ciavarella, compared to 10% Statewide; and
WHEREAS, Youth advocacy groups have been complaining for
several years that Judge Ciavarella has been harsh in his
sentencing of youth and has run "roughshod" over the
constitutional rights of these youth; and
WHEREAS, Judges Ciavarella and Conahan allegedly have taken
these kickbacks from 2003 to 2006; and
WHEREAS, Judges Ciavarella and Conahan pleaded guilty to
fraud and entered into a plea agreement on February 12, 2009;
and
WHEREAS, Judges Ciavarella and Conahan have been removed from
the bench by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, The impact of these actions by two judges has
resulted in the mistrust of the justice system for juveniles and
could call into question all of the sentences pronounced by
these two corrupt judges; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate strongly condemn the actions of
former Luzerne County Judges Ciavarella and Conahan; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Pennsylvania Supreme Court take swift and
deliberate action to study the entire juvenile justice system
and to put measures in place for additional oversight to ensure
the public that fraudulent actions such as these have no place
in the justice system; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to Chief
Justice Ronald Castille of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
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