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Pocono News Section
Local Newspaper Files Petition in Supreme Court in Relation to Corruption
Local Newspaper Files Petition in Supreme Court in Relation to Corruption - Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 4:15PM EST
Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 @ 04:15pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- The owners of the Citizens Voice newspaper will file a petition in the state supreme court today claiming that suspended judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan have direct connections to jailed mobster William D'elia. It centers around a multi-million dollar judgment against the newspaper in a defamation lawsuit.
The citizens' voice newspaper is reporting that their lawyers will file a petition with the state supreme court to vacate and throw out a $3.5 million dollar defamation verdict issued by suspended judge Mark Ciavarella in June of 2006 following a non jury verdict, Ciavarella ruled in favor of a West Pitttston businessman, who claimed he was defamed in a series of special reports in 2001. Those reports came after federal agents raided his business as well as homes owned by D'elia and others.
The newspaper owners say they will produce a witness that will testify that one or both of the now disgraced judges had connection to William "Big Billy" D'elia. D'elia 62, is the longtime reputed head of the Buffalino crime family and is serving a 9 year prison term for money laundering and witness tampering.
The newspaper alleges that then president judge Michael Conahan and his first cousin, William Sharkey, steered the case into the hands of Ciavarella for a favorable ruling.
The newspaper petition alleges that Ciavarella issued one sided rulings and ignored evidence that the businessman and D'elia were close associates. The newspapers petition in part reads: the scope and subject of the newspaper articles in question. “A cascade of recent revelations of corruption at the Luzerne County Courthouse strongly suggests the $3.5 million dollar verdict was rigged."
This latest revelation has people talking. Larry Pasbach of Dallas says, "I've never seen it as bad as it is here. I've lived in Chicago … Chicago is kids play compared to what happening here."
Civalrella and Conahan face 7 years in prison for taking kickbacks in connection with a private juvenile system, and Sharkey, the former court administrator, faces up to 10 years for stealing $70,000 in confiscated money.
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