Judges’ Kids-for-Cash Scandal Was Allowed Under Conspiracy of Silence, says Author.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"For five years, two judges in Luzerne County, Penn., colluded with the owners of a juvenile detention facility to place children in detention for minor offenses in exchange for bribes amounting to almost $2.8 million. In Kids for Cash: Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.8 Million Kickback Scheme, William Ecenbarger tells the story of what happened in Luzerne County, and how a 'conspiracy of silence' enabled the fraud to go on as long as it did. He speaks with ABA Journal podcast editor Lee Rawles about the details of the case and how the scheme was finally brought to light."

http://www.abajournal.com/books/article/podcast_episode_015

See also:

Town Without Pity
"For years, a judge in Pennsylvania jailed kids illegally."

"Whether it was for ‘tough love’ or just cold cash, where were the lawyers?"

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/town_without_pity/

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. The horrific thing about this "Cash for Kids" story ...

is the lives that these judges, literally, destroyed.

I recall the story of one kid ... an accomplished, and college bound, athlete. He was busted, as he was leaving a party, for having a joint in his car (it wasn't his, and he had the entire football team willing to testify that he NEVER touched drugs). His Public Defender convinced the kid's parents to have him plead guilty to the possession charge ... The PD had spoken with the prosecutor, since it was his first offense, the prosecutor would recommend the kid get probation and be offered diversion, which would fall off his record at 18 (8 months later).

They went to court ... the kid pled guilty ... the corrupt judge sentenced the kid to 7 months, 3 weeks, in one of his Kid for Cash prison franchises. Everyone in the court house was shock and the prosecutor was horrified. He argued that the sentence was inappropriate in light of the facts and previous sentences ... the prosecutor argued until the judge threaten to hold him in contempt.

The kid went to the prison ... was promptly, and brutally, raped. Upon release from the prison, this previously happy go lucky, college bound accomplished athlete killed himself ... leaving a note indicating that his prison experience had made his life unlivable.

While I am an ardent anti-death penalty kind of guy ... I would have no problem if a jailer had released this judge onto the court house steps at noon, after notifying and arming the kids entire family!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

2. These judges, as you say, have destroyed lives. Good for the PD and the prosecutor who spoke up.

More from the ABA article Town Without Pity:

"Not only do authorities say it went on for as many as five years; they also claim it was so blatant that they are astonished almost no one—including the lawyers who regularly practiced there—were willing to stand up and speak out about what was going on in Luzerne County.

What is described in interviews, public records and court documents is a culture in which lawyers famously went along to get along rather than push back against a judge who openly and notoriously violated the law he was sworn to uphold—even when those violations af­fected the lives of children. And the heart and soul of that—even its spokesman—was Ciavarella."

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/town_without_pity/

[pansypoo53219]

3. the prison industrial complex is gonna bankrupt + destroy

america as much as the military, medical + now PREGNANCY industrial complex.

[midnight]

4. End the privatization of our courts, and our prisons. And re hall the whole system...