Pennsylvania Juvenile Judges Face Civil Rights Lawsuit

By Evan Mix

Published on February 19, 2009

Just one day after pleading guilty to fraud, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of juvenile offenders and their families. Ciavarella and Conahan admitted to accepting kickbacks totaling $2.6 million from private juvenile detention centers in the area. The detention centers receive government funds for each internment.

The case against Ciavarella, Conahan, and 14 additional defendants claims that they violated the civil rights of hundreds of juvenile offenders over a period of several years, improperly sentencing them to terms in detention for minor offenses. The suit also claims that juvenile defendants were advised that they did not need attorneys because their offenses were so minor, and that they were pressured to plead guilty. Many of their parents suffered financial losses, including garnished wages, lost public assistance, and lost social security benefits.

Among the other defendants are two individuals accused of paying the kickbacks. One is Robert Powell, an attorney who until recently co-owned the companies running the detention centers in question. He has denied all wrongdoing and claims he was the victim of extortion. The other is Robert Mericle, owner of the construction firm responsible for building the detention centers. He has not commented publicly on the case.

Comment on this article →