April 30, 2011
If the Pennsylvania Bar Association is truly concerned about Judicial Corruption why don't they insist on a complete investigation of the Judicial Conduct Board and its DIRECT involvement in the Kids for Cash Scandal? I will tell you why. The Bar Association is as much a part of the problem as any other aspect of this corruption. I personally called the State Bar Association about 6 weeks ago as I wanted to testify at their Dog and Pony Show when it came to Wilkes-Barre. The very polite woman that I spoke to didn't have a clue as to what I was talking about (or so she said) and referred me to the Supreme Court which was a total waste of time. I never thought I would agree with Chief Public Defender of Luzerne County Al Flora but he is absolutely correct with the statements he made before the Commission. I am shocked he would have the guts to state what he did and I am sure he will feel personal repercussions for his statements. Attorney Flora did not stick with the script which is a BIG no-no. My respect for Flora has increased 10 fold. Everything we are seeing here is "Smoke and Mirrors". Expect things to get worse after the FBI pull stakes and move on.
The Times Leader - DA referring county judge actions to state
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Thoughts about Judicial Corruption
April 27, 2011
So at this point in time you would think a legislator like State Senator Lisa Baker would introduce legislation that would once and for all address judges and politicians trying to collect state pensions after committing crimes while in office. That, my friends, would be meaningful legislation. Instead, this subject will be ignored and the next time something like this happens AGAIN (and it will) everyone, including Senator Baker will act like it has never happened before and no one knows what to do or how it should be handled. So predictable and so wrong in so many ways. Time to clean house in Harrisburg.
Citizen's Voice - Ciavarella won't fight for $250K pension
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Current News
April 10, 2011
I would love to be the first to tell everyone that with the 30 month prison term of Ex-Judge Michael Toole, we can all now live “happily ever after”, but I can’t. Compared to the massive corruption that has occurred in the Luzerne County Courthouse over the past century what Ex-Judge Toole has been sentenced for here is mere “Childs Play”. Not reporting a $30,000.00 finder’s fee (that’s code for a bribe) and using a vacation home a few times for free is NOTHING compared to the destruction that this corrupted judiciary has done to the average, unconnected, taxpaying Luzerne County Litigant! Real businesses, families, and lives have been destroyed. Due process for the most part has been nothing but a mythical fairytale.
The arrest and sentencing of Ex-Judge Michael Toole is the very smallest portion of a tiny step that has been taken in the right direction. I honestly believe that the REAL story here is not how much money these corrupted officials have taken to secretly line their own pockets but rather the heartbreak and misery they have caused countless victims of this corrupted system. Cases are “Fixed” because the evidence or the law does not support the desired outcome. What I personally know about the corruption in the Luzerne County Courthouse makes my skin crawl.
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Current News
April 1, 2011
I don’t want to live in a country that cuts off both arms of convicted pickpockets. There is NO DOUBT that Judge Lokuta deserves some sort of discipline for her Judge Judy style of justice in her courtroom. That being said, I am extremely uncomfortable with the highest profile witnesses against her being Felon Ex-Judges Conahan and Ciavarella. Combine this with the Chairman of the Judicial Conduct Board being business partners with Conahan and the Chief Prosecutor against Judge Lokuta being the private counsel for admitted felon attorney Powell and also private counsel for PA Child Care Inc. There are far, far, far too many conflicts of interest for me to feel this prosecution wasn’t fixed. Add to the mix that Judge Lokuta is the first judge in the history of the JCB to be removed from her elected position while never being charged with any crime. Did I mention that the Retired Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s son OWNS THE KIDDY PRISON at the heart of this entire scandal. Regardless of whether you love or hate Judge Lokuta her prosecution and the participants in it need to be investigated very thoroughly. I honestly believe that a Federal Grand Jury would be appropriate.
The Citizens Voice - Supreme Court denies Lokuta a second hearing
The Times Leader - State Supreme Court denies Lokuta's motion for reconsideration
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
March 30, 2011
I am here to tell you that if the FBI hadn't come to town and arrested Ex-Judge Toole he would still be looking down his drunken nose from his lofty perch and corruptly judging us common folk. There needs to be a full blown Grand Jury Investigation of the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board as far back as the law permits. I would also venture to say if not for the FBI, both Ex-Judges Conahan and Ciavarella would still be stuffing the kiddy prison full while they themselves living the lifestyle of the rich and famous regardless of how many MORE complaints would have been filed against them with the JCB. I believe the JCB is more corrupt than any Luzerne County Judge and that, my friend’s, is quite an allegation.
The Times-Leader - Time for Toole to do the time
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
March 25, 2011
I have a great idea. How about an in-depth investigation into the entire Judicial Conduct Board? The JCB gave no less than 5 reasons as to why they did not act on the Conahan Complaint as they are “REQUIRED” to do by their own rules. All 5 explanations turned out to be misstatements of facts. There was a time when we called misstatements of facts “lies”.
The fact of the matter was during the timeframe in question, the JCB was very, very busy removing a Judge from office that was believed to be the author of the anonymous complaint against Conahan. Low and behold, who were the two highest profile witnesses to testify against this Judge but Ex-Judge Conahan and newly convicted Felon-Judge Ciavarella. Did I mention that the Chairman of the JCB at that time was business partners with Ex-Judge Conahan in two different Businesses? I also think I failed to mention the fact that the son of Former Supreme Court Chief Justice owned 50% of the juvenile prison at the center of the “Kids for Cash” scandal.
This whole cover-up MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL! Where are the Pennsylvania Legislators on this one?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - The Legal Intelligencer: It's time for justices to use bully pulpit on judicial conduct
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
March 7, 2011
US Attorney Peter Smith knew exactly what he was doing when he did not put a single piece of evidence into the trial of Ciavarella that created any official record of "Kids for Cash". Tax Evasion, Racketeering, and Conspiracy YES. Kids for Cash"......NO! I for one don't buy Smith’s explanation as to why he did what he did or in this case, what he didn’t do.
The Citizen's Voice - County: Scope of kids-for-cash kickback scheme is exaggerated
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
March 3, 2011
The Luzerne "Kids For Cash" Scandal.
What a pitiful charade. Most people in Luzerne County know that if the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board did its job as required by its own rules Conahan and Ciavarella would have been stopped in their tracks 3 years and thousands of children before the FBI finally came into town and arrested the two judges.
Most also know if the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania did its job when an emergency “Kings Bench" petition was filed by a Philadelphia based Juvenile advocacy group this scandal would have again been stopped in its tracks years before it was. Instead the Supreme Court denied the petition by discarding all of the overwhelming evidence of wrong doing without even conducting a simple hearing. Maybe the fact that retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Zappala’s son owned half of the Juvenile prison at the center of this scandal entered into their denial........ maybe not.
I personally believe that the recent Philadelphia Inquirers demand that Chief Justice Castille immediately resign from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is a good idea. No I think it is a great idea.
Until someone addresses the real issue here which is corruption, this entire matter is not going to go away no matter how hard the politicians or Castille try.
The Times Leader - State Supreme Court updates changes to juvenile law
The Times Leader - Pa. juvie justice promise is made
Citizen's Voice - State Supreme Court chief outlines juvenile justice reform
Philly.com - Editorial: Castille Must Resign
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
February 22, 2011
I want to hear US Attorney Peter Smith tell us what a great victory it is after Ciavarella reverses 8 of his 12 guilty charges on appeal. His own office will be the direct reason for the reversal. The US Attorney who handled Mericle’s case stated in open court during Mericle’s plea that Mericle paid Ciavarella a finder’s fee and not a bribe. He further went on to say that a finder’s fee is totally legal. The very same US Attorney’s Office went on to convict Ciavarella of taking a bribe from Mericle and NOT a finder’s fee. This is simply a stroke of genius. Just ask Smith, he'll tell you, genius! It probably won’t matter much, by the time Ciavarella is done with his appeals US Attorney Smith will be retired and Ciavarella will be dead of old age.
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
February 18, 2011
There isn’t much that shocks me when it comes to case fixing in Luzerne County or anywhere else in Pennsylvania for that matter but what has happened in the Mark Ciavarella trial defies any “legitimate” explanation. Here is what I said in my Judicial Corruption Blog before this trial began:
"It appears that even the FBI and US Attorney’s Office did not want to open this can of worms."
A public trial of this magnitude has huge ramifications. It has the potential to not only expose massive corruption that extends far beyond Luzerne County but more troubling massive cover up by sitting, “high profile” politicians and oversight organizations. The “Kids for Cash” scandal did not occur in a vacuum.
I suspect that even the US Attorney’s office will attempt some sort of “damage control"...
Now let’s look at this so called, “Damage Control” that I spoke of.
Co-conspirator Michael Conahan was allowed (by the US Attorney) to plead guilty to a single count of wrong doing instead of facing the same 39 counts as recommended by a Federal Grand Jury. In exchange he would be required to testify in great detail against his buddy Ciavarella. The same US Attorney’s office that worked this deal with Conahan never called him to the stand. Well that’s a bit confusing... or is it?
Here are two quotes and the link to an article published by the Citizens’ Voice Newspaper:
"Prosecutors offered virtually no evidence related to the most explosive allegations in a grand jury indictment, that Ciavarella boosted the centers' business by jailing undeserving juveniles on minor charges, denying many the right to counsel and pressuring juvenile probation officers to recommend detention in reports to the court. The same article went on to further state: Prosecutors declined comment Monday on their decision not to call former juvenile defendants or expected prosecution witness Sandra M. Brulo, a former juvenile court official facing prison for altering a court record in the case. Brulo, whose plea agreement required her to cooperate with prosecutors, told a state panel in 2009 that Ciavarella instituted a tough "zero tolerance" policy that swelled detentions just as one of the for-profit centers opened, replacing a government-owned center."
Read more: Citizen's Voice - Prosecution done - defense takes over
Virtually NO EVIDENCE has been put on the record other than the crimes that Ciavarella has already admitted to. The can of worms I spoke about earlier remains unopened.
Even if the jury thinks Ciavarella is the biggest liar that ever walked the face of the earth and finds him guilty on all charges he will escape most of them on appeal as no evidence was presented to substantiate most of the charges. If the jury sets aside their emotions and follows the letter of the law, I predict that they will find Ciavarella “Not Guilty” on more than 50% of the crimes he was charged with and I feel my prediction is conservative.
So who is being protected and what is in this “can of worms?” Well my list is long. The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board, Court of Judicial Discipline, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (The son of a retired Chief Justice owns the Juvenile Detention Facility at the heart of this matter) are just for starters. My personal opinion is that what is in this can of worms is an entire system. This “system” was on the verge of being exposed to the world. A conscious decision by someone was made not to expose this can of worms no matter how bad it looked and I am here to tell you that it looks very, very bad.
In closing, what some of us call “damage control” others amongst us call “case fixing” and that’s what this prosecution was all about. The problem here is that Ciavarella was the one charged.
Posted by Larry Hohol. Posted In : Kids for Cash Scandal
