"SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A northeastern Pennsylvania judge (Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr.) was ordered Thursday to spend nearly three decades in prison for his role in a massive bribery scandal that prompted the state’s high court to toss thousands of juvenile convictions and left lasting scars on the children who appeared in his courtroom and their hapless families."

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/08/11/pennsylvania-judge-gets-28-years-in-kids-for-cash-case/

"In the wake of the scandal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned about 4,000 convictions issued by Ciavarella between 2003 and 2008, saying he violated the constitutional rights of the juveniles, including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea."

"In court, Zubrod (US Asst. Attorney) said Ciavarella had “verbally abused and cruelly mocked children he sent away after violating their rights.” He called the ex-judge “vicious and mean-spirited” "

"Ciavarella, known for his harsh and autocratic courtroom demeanor, pocketed the cash while filling the beds of the private lockups with children as young as 10, many of them first-time offenders convicted of petty theft and other minor crimes. Ciavarella often ordered youths he had found delinquent to be immediately shackled, handcuffed and taken away without giving them a chance to say goodbye to their families."

Good.

I saw this in the paper when it first happened... I was overjoyed to see the guy get such a long sentence! Was an utterly horrible situation that filled me with so much anger! Especially since I live so near in PA!!!!!

Doesn't heal the damage to all the children (4000+) he's caused harm to though.

Perhaps his sentence should include allowing any of the then children he hurt to confront him handcuffed and shackled as they choose.

The amount of harm he caused and its the DA's fault for making him sound evil. Spoken like a true perp. Ever thought it might have something to do with your own behavior?

Its unfortunate but likely that some of his victims may see him in prison and get the chance to discuss it with him.

I wonder if he got the chance to say goodbye to his family.

28 years isn't enough for this scumbag. He ruined so many lives for $ kickbacks. I saw this one poor woman on the news who's son killed himself over what happened to him, she was screaming at him, as he was led in shackles up the courthouse steps. I just felt aweful for her, her only child, too...

I am so Glad that he got a long(er) term sentence for what he did. Just the fact that he was a Judge, a person of considerable authority and power that was corrupt, that is enough to sen him away for that long, but because of how many lives he messed up and destroyed and how many children- how their innocence was taken/stolen from them by this Bastard!

Also how many families that have been touched by this and have completely lost faith with the US Justice System-Who could blame them?!? My God!


And for what, what did this guy do it for...... Money! $$$ Thats all he cared about.
I hope he doesn't get protection in prison and gets beat up and brutalized and feels a lot of the same terror that those kids that he was responsible for felt;
The same type of terror that I felt!

Logan

This judge is worse than anybody he every put away.