Pocono News Section

Central Court's Future Debated at Hearing

Central Court's Future Debated at Hearing - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 4:40PM EST

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Should Luzerne County's Central Court stay or go? That's a question debated at a hearing Tuesday evening.
President Judge Chester Muroski held a hearing to find out the pros and cons of the facility. Central Court was started in 2002 by Judge Michael Conahan, but many people have called it a money pit.

Police officers from all over the county are weighing in. Kingston Township Chief Jim Balavage said, “In a poll of my officers the last couple of weeks, its about 95-percent approval rating of central court but it could be improved with some logistical and some technical changes."

People who are against Central Court want hearings to be held at their local magistrate’s office.

In other court news former Court Administrator William Sharkey was officially fired Tuesday. Last week Sharkey pled guilty in Scranton to embezzling $70,000 in gambling money. Sharkey had been on unpaid suspension and medical leave before being fired.