The LuLac Edition #707, Jan. 27th, 2009
PHOTO INDEX: THE LUZERNE COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
JUDGE FALLOUT
REVIEW BOARD SPEAKS
An official with the state Judicial Conduct board announced today he is prepared to file a petition seeking the immediate suspension of Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan. Joseph Massa Jr., chief counsel for the JCB, said the Supreme Court has the authority to suspend any judge who has been charged with a felony. He said he suspects the court will soon issue an order suspending Conahan and Ciavarella. If the court does not take that action Massa said he will file a petition with the state's Court of Judicial Discipline, asking the court to issue a suspension pending the outcome of the criminal case against the jurists.
This is the same Judicial Review board that brought action against former Judge Ann Lokuta.
THE VOTE
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas judges will vote for a new president judge on Friday, according to a news release from President Judge Chester B. Muroski. The long time jurist became the acting president judge on Monday when he announced Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. resigned from the position. Ciavarella, 58, and former president judge Michael T. Conahan, 56, were charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania with an alleged scheme to defraud the federal government by concealing $2.6 million earned illegally through placement of juveniles in juvenile detention facilities. Muroski said that Ciavarella, who remains a Luzerne County judge, will have a vote for his successor.
THE MAN
When this story broke, many wondered who the Judge would be in this blockbuster case. Senior U.S. District Judge Edwin M. Kosik has been assigned to preside over the criminal case of Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan. The assignment of Kosik clears the way for the scheduling of a hearing at which Ciavarella and Conahan are expected to enter guilty pleas to charges that were filed yesterday by U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson. Sources say a hearing is set for Feb. 12th.
CLASS ACTION SUIT
Attorney Barry Dyler has signaled an intention that he will file a class action suit against the Judges and the County. With the cash strapped county on the brink, this is a good news, bad news story. The good news is justice will finally come for the youth railroaded to the Juvie center, the bad news is it will cost the county....again.
CONEY ISLAND RETURNS
The original Coney Island hot dog eatery in Scranton is set to return in about 6 weeks. The landmark restaurant was torched by arson but is on the way back. Coney Island has long been a haven for dog lovers and political rumors, two mainstays on their menu.
HOTEL LUZERNE?
A story like this opens up the media to all types of opinions. A woman from Scranton called Corbett up on WILK today and said the Courthouse should be turned into a hotel. Her point was that everyone who enters there leaves corrupt at some level. There are many nhonorable, hard working people at the Courthouse so her comments were a little off base. But if there are more lawsuits, the County might have to open a Bed and Breakfast to pay off the legal fees.
posted by David Yonki @ 6:57 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Man, this sh** is big! The arrogance is as bad as it gets! Saw ya on the tube.
We will be reading about this story in one way or another for a decade.
Pete
This thing with the judges is horrible. But it is a part of a culture of privilege which we have tolerated for too long. It is not much different from prison guards who are "excused" from speeding tickets when the state police officer who stops them sees their uniforms. The controller of Luzerne County has a scandal of his own brewing - drunk and half naked, he wrecked his car and tried to talk, beg and intimidate his way out of trouble. Too bad he didn't have a law enforcement uniform in the car. If you have connections, you can get away with nearly anything!
Looks like Kevin Lynn isnt as smart a he thinks he is! That's allright Kevin, nobody is that smart. It must be tough to find out a friend is a lowlife who traded on troubled kids for profit! This juvenile center smelled bad from the get go and those who questioned anything about it were dismissed or attacked. Meanwhile WILK is claiming a great deal of credit for doing what they are supposed to do, follow the story and give people a chance to express their feelings. Luzerne needs to be designated a distressed county. It damn sure is!
Your pal Kevin Lynn, if I understood what he said, just INTIMATED this morning that he was privy to this stuff for years. If he knew about it why didn't he ever say anything? I am not accusing him of wrong doing; I don't know enough of the facts, but as Corbett likes to say there needs to be an investigation, perhaps this time by the FCC. Did he use his position to influence public opinion? Did he cross the line? Your anon poster the other day is right, someone needs to ask questions of Mr. Lynn.
Also today he had the audacity to try and defend the former judge by stating that the parents of the kids who were wrongfully sent to the facility are partially responsible for what happened. Is he NOT paying attention to what people are saying, a woman called in to Sue's show yesterday and stated that she spent 30,000 dollars trying to get her grandson justice. Parent's were complaining, but a judge is powerful and when it comes to sentencing they are pretty much the end of the line. However, Kevin Lynn continues to defend him, even Nancy chastised him on the air.
Can we the public file an FCC complaint? If so do can you provide info?
Hey Yonki ... You sure don't have to dig for copy for your blog lately!
IN RESPONSE
likes to say there needs to be an investigation, perhaps this time by the FCC. Did he use his position to influence public opinion? Did he cross the line? Your anon poster the other day is right, someone needs to ask questions of Mr. Lynn.
However, Kevin Lynn continues to defend him, even Nancy chastised him on the air. Can we the public file an FCC complaint?
LOOK KEVIN HAS A RIGHT TO AN OPINION. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO OPEN HIMSELF UP BY REVEALING HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH THE JUDGE. BUT HE DID. HE NEVER SWAYED PUBLIC OPINION EITHER WAY WITH HIS COMMENTS, PEOPLE IN A CASE LIKE THIS MAKE UP THEIR OWN MIND. AND ANYTING LYNN SAID (AT LEAST FROM WHAT I HEARD) WAS NOT A DEFENSE OF THE JUDGE BUT A RECOGNITION THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING DOWN. AS FOR HOLDING BACK OR CHANGING HIS STANCE,THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO LUMP EVERYONE ELSE IN WITH THAT COMMENT, JUDGES MAKING COMMENTS AND OTHER HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE. YOU LAUNCH AN FCC INVESTIGATION IF THE RADIO STATION DOES HARM TO THE COMMUNITY OR IS SO BIASED THAT IT AFFECTS COMMUNITY STANDARDS. KEVIN LYNN AND WILK HAVE NOT DONE THAT. IF FORMER TALK SHOW HOST TED WILLIAMS DIDN'T WARRANT AN INVESIGATION (HIS OPPOSITION TO THE ARENA COST US MANY MORE SEATS IN THAT BUILDING, THAT AFFECTED THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T IT?) BY THE FCC, WHY WOULD YOU THINK KEVIN LYNN'S OPINION ON THIS WOULD? WILK AND LYNN HAVE MORE THAN MET THE COMMUNITY STANDARD OF INFORMING AND ENRERTAINING THE COMMUNITY, EVEN WITH OPINIONS YOU MIGHT BASE ON A CONSPIRACY, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO AFFECT OR LOWER COMMUNITY STANDARDS WHICH IS WHAT AN FCC NVESTIGATION WOULD BD FOR. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LET THIS ONE GO.
I disagree, if Kevin Lynn knew about this, as he intimated, then he assisted in the attempted cover up and that is injurious to the area and does violate the license.
I am NOT saying he did, I want an investigation to see if he did. I am not talking about his opinion, I am talking about the possiblity that he withheld information, that he abused his position to do so.
Again I am not saying he did or did not, I am saying we need an investigation. The public trust is of utmost importance.
Why should he or she let it go?
Is it so unreasonable that a judge who sent children who should not have gone to prison to prison may have used a friendship with a man who publicly complained about lack of money, publicly on the air boasts about his use of illegal drug, announces on air his large fireworks display every year (and no one from law enforcement shows up) and as reported last year sometime in one of the newspapers was hired to work on a county promotional video; is it unreasonable that this judge may have used his friend to help coverup and elaborate scheme? After all that is coming out do you really think that is not possible?
Like others have stated I am not going to accuse anyone of anything, but actions over the last 2 years, his ripping apart other public servants but constantly and consistently giving this one a pass or diverting attention away from the subject should give us all pause.
Since his return Steve Corbett has hammered away that WILK is about news/talk with an emphasis on news. He has shouted that what he and his colleagues do is a public service. Well is Corbett right or wrong?
I think the other posters are correct, this needs to be investigated.
To be clear I do not think anything was done wrong, but I can see where people may have questions. If no one connected the dots these two judges may still be getting away with what they were doing. It is possible, even though you may think it is unlikely, that there are other dots left to connect.
IN RESPONSE
if Kevin Lynn knew about this, as he intimated, then he assisted in the attempted cover up and that is injurious to the area and does violate the license.
I am NOT saying he did, I want an investigation to see if he did. I am not talking about his opinion, I am talking about the possiblity that he withheld information, that he abused his position to do so. Again I am not saying he did or did not, I am saying we need an investigation. The public trust is of utmost importance.
COME ON, ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT THIS? WE HAVE MULTIPLE CORRUPTION UNDER THE COURTHOUSE DOME AND YOU WANT TO INVESTIGATE A TALK SHOW HOST AND A RADIO STATION TO SEE AS HOWARD BAKER SAID "WHAT DID THEY KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT?" I'VE KNOWN KEVIN LYNN PROFESSIONALY FOR 12 YEARS AS A CO WORKER AND AS A LISTENER. THE MAN IS INCAPABLE OF HOLDING BACK OR COVERING UP ANYTHING. USE THIS ZEAL YOU HAVE ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ROBBED US BLIND FOR YEARS.
I’m happy I don’t live in Luzerne County. Seven years is much too easy for people who exploited kids. It becomes more and more disgusting the more you think about it! The kids and their families had problems in the first place. These guys were predators like the Catholic priests!!!
Seems 25 years would be about right. And Chivarellos lawyer would be well advised not to mention how hard this is on he and his family again!
You are an impressive "Political Analyst." I worked a little bit with Mark Chiavarella (I think he was City Attorney then) when I had a part-time job at W-B City Hall. Yikes!
Kevin Lynn's choices in life have always sounded questionable to me, now so does his choice of friends and those whom he defends.
Mr. Lynn has spent years villifing and attempting to verbally crucify many good officials and many good people in NEPA.
If this judge was/is his friend and even today he tried to defend him it says a lot for his character.In other words:
"A man is known by the company he keeps." or
"Our character is reflected in our choice of friends."
I wish Kevin Lynn would go and ply his trade elswhere, he is a drag on an otherwise honorable line up of local talk show hosts.
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