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Pocono News Section
Day Two of State Corruption Hearings
Day Two of State Corruption Hearings - Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 6:30PM EST
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009 @ 06:30pm EST
PLAINS TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY -- A judge out of control - and people in a court system who were afraid to take him on. It was all heard on day two of the state hearings into corruption in Luzerne County.
It's been called the worst judicial scandal in the history. Now theyÕre trying to find out how did it happen?
There was, in that, lawyers on both sides of the aisle. Prosecutors and defenders say they had no idea that Judge Mark Ciavarella was corrupt and they admit, very few questions were raised by their lawyers.
Testifying Tuesday before the special state panel was current District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll. At times she and commission members had heated exchanges, but she insisted, that to blame prosecutors, for not challenging disgraced Judge Mark Ciavarella is simply not fair.
At the time no one knew the alleged Òkids for cashÓ scheme was underway, that kids were being sent away to help fill the pockets of Ciavarella and his co-defendant, former Judge Michael Conahan.
"I think you had a judge who had zero tolerance, who had no patience, didn't care about anybody's rights. He would get to the point for whatever reason, then you have a judge who has his hand in the till getting money off the backs of the system, children and people, everyone in the system," said Musto Carroll.
Chief Public Defender Basil Russin admits more questions should have been asked, but Ciavarella's mind set was to send kids away. Russin offered his opinion on why everyone looked the other way.
"Because everybody loved him, everybody loved it. The schools got rid of every bad kid in the school. When we were in school, if we threw a spitball you went to the principalÕs office. Now the police were called and kids were sent away," he said.
At this point the commission has not heard testimony from any juveniles who were sent away. Because of civil lawsuits the juveniles are not talking on advice of their lawyers, but others have not come forward, which they simply cannot understand. | | |
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