10-05-01 Kids for Cash: Luzerne County Pennsylvania vs Los Angeles County California - ABA Journal news and comments
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10-05-01 Kids for Cash: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania vs Los Angeles County, California, ABA Journal – news and comments
JUDICIARY
Ex-Judge to Plead Guilty in Kids-for-Cash Scandal; Is He ‘Singing Like a Bird’? Posted Apr 30, 2010 8:09 AM CDT By Debra Cassens Weiss • Email • Print • Reprints
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Former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan has agreed to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy in the $2.8 million “kids for cash” scandal. Conahan faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced, according to the Legal Intelligencer and the Associated Press. The agreement does not include a minimum sentence; instead it specifies the penalty will be “determined by the court.” According to the Intelligencer, “The sentiment from several sources upon reviewing the plea deal was: ‘He must be singing like a bird.’ ” The sources said Conahan essentially ran the county and will be expected to name lawyers or others in the alleged conspiracy. Conahan and another judge, Mark Ciavarella Jr., were accused of accepting kickbacks in exchange for jailing juveniles in a private detention facility. A federal judge rejected a plea deal last year that called for sentences of 87 months in prison, saying the defendants had not accepted responsibility for their wrongdoing. Ciavarella’s lawyer, Al Flora Jr., told AP that his client maintains his innocence. ''He's going to trial,'' Flora said. Related Topics Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, White Collar Crime, Judiciary, Legal Ethics
COMMENTS
Page 2/3
May 3, 2010
9. Joseph Zernik May 1, 2010 7:31 AM CDT One must wonder why racketeering and false imprisonments in Luzerne County, PA, are prosecuted by Federal agencies, while similar conditions in Los Angeles County, California, are fully patronized by FBI and US Department of Justice. Already during the Rampart corruption scandal (1998-2000), false imprisonments of thousands of Rampart FIPs (Falsely Imprisoned Persons) was documented. They are almost exclusively blacks and Latinos, and by estimate about a third of them were still juveniles at the time of their framing. However, Federal agencies permitted the Los Angeles County justice system to investigate, prosecute, and judge itself, with predictable outcome. By 2006, the LAPD’s Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded “Innocent people remain in prison”. It also stated that the LA county justice system tolerated “a subcult of criminality in the ranks”, and called for an external investigation. No external investigation was ever instituted to this date. Joseph Zernik Los Angeles County, California LINKS: [1] The Rampart FIPs - a Review http://www.scribd.com/doc/24729660/09-12-17-Rampart-FIPs-Falsely-Imprisoned-Persons-Review 11. Joseph Zernik May 1, 2010 11:56 AM CDT Mr McLeod failed to respond in on the matter itself in any way at all: * The acclaimed PBS Frontline series - LAPD Blues - estimated in 2001 (and updated in 2008), the number of those falsely convicted and falsely sentenced to long terms by the corrupt justice system of Los Angeles County, California at 8,000 - 16,000, or more. [1] * The official LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded in 2006 that such persons remained in prison. By estimate, only about 150-200 of the Rampart-FIPs were freed over the years through reversal of their false convictions. [2] * Prof Erwin Chemerinsky, founding Dean of the University of California Irvine Law School, in reviewing the case in 20001 wrote: “This is conduct associated with the most repressive dictators and police states… and judges must share responsibility when innocent people are convicted.” [3] * Then Dean, Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in reviewing the case in 2001 wrote: “…judges tried and sentenced a staggering number of people for crimes they did not commit.” [4]
Page 3/3
May 3, 2010
The obvious question remains unanswered: Why did FBI and US Department of Justice permit, and continue to permit the large scale false imprisonments in Los Angeles County, California? Any response on the matter would be greatly appreciated… Joseph Zernik Los Angeles County, California LINKS: [1] PBS Frontline - Rampart False Imprisonments http://www.scribd.com/doc/24901612/01-05-01-Rampart-FIPs-Rampart-First-Trial-PBS-FrontlineRampart-False-Imprisonments-s [2] LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel (2006) http://www.scribd.com/doc/24902306/06-07-15-LAPD-apos-s-Blue-Ribbon-Review-Panel-Report-2006 [3] Prof Erwin Chemerinsky - The Criminal Justice System of Los Angeles County, California: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27433920/00-09-01-The-criminal-justice-system-of-Los-Angeles-CountyCalifornia-by-E-Chemerinsky-57-Guild-Prac-121-2000 [4] Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk “Policing the Justice System” http://www.scribd.com/doc/29043589/00-00-00-David-Burcham-and-Katherine-Fisk-LoyolaSymposium-The-Rampart-Scandal-Policing-the-Criminal-Justice-System-2000-s
10-05-01 Kids for Cash: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania vs Los Angeles County, California, ABA Journal – news and comments
JUDICIARY
Ex-Judge to Plead Guilty in Kids-for-Cash Scandal; Is He ‘Singing Like a Bird’? Posted Apr 30, 2010 8:09 AM CDT By Debra Cassens Weiss • Email • Print • Reprints
•
Former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan has agreed to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy in the $2.8 million “kids for cash” scandal. Conahan faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced, according to the Legal Intelligencer and the Associated Press. The agreement does not include a minimum sentence; instead it specifies the penalty will be “determined by the court.” According to the Intelligencer, “The sentiment from several sources upon reviewing the plea deal was: ‘He must be singing like a bird.’ ” The sources said Conahan essentially ran the county and will be expected to name lawyers or others in the alleged conspiracy. Conahan and another judge, Mark Ciavarella Jr., were accused of accepting kickbacks in exchange for jailing juveniles in a private detention facility. A federal judge rejected a plea deal last year that called for sentences of 87 months in prison, saying the defendants had not accepted responsibility for their wrongdoing. Ciavarella’s lawyer, Al Flora Jr., told AP that his client maintains his innocence. ''He's going to trial,'' Flora said. Related Topics Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, White Collar Crime, Judiciary, Legal Ethics
COMMENTS
Page 2/3
May 3, 2010
9. Joseph Zernik May 1, 2010 7:31 AM CDT One must wonder why racketeering and false imprisonments in Luzerne County, PA, are prosecuted by Federal agencies, while similar conditions in Los Angeles County, California, are fully patronized by FBI and US Department of Justice. Already during the Rampart corruption scandal (1998-2000), false imprisonments of thousands of Rampart FIPs (Falsely Imprisoned Persons) was documented. They are almost exclusively blacks and Latinos, and by estimate about a third of them were still juveniles at the time of their framing. However, Federal agencies permitted the Los Angeles County justice system to investigate, prosecute, and judge itself, with predictable outcome. By 2006, the LAPD’s Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded “Innocent people remain in prison”. It also stated that the LA county justice system tolerated “a subcult of criminality in the ranks”, and called for an external investigation. No external investigation was ever instituted to this date. Joseph Zernik Los Angeles County, California LINKS: [1] The Rampart FIPs - a Review http://www.scribd.com/doc/24729660/09-12-17-Rampart-FIPs-Falsely-Imprisoned-Persons-Review 11. Joseph Zernik May 1, 2010 11:56 AM CDT Mr McLeod failed to respond in on the matter itself in any way at all: * The acclaimed PBS Frontline series - LAPD Blues - estimated in 2001 (and updated in 2008), the number of those falsely convicted and falsely sentenced to long terms by the corrupt justice system of Los Angeles County, California at 8,000 - 16,000, or more. [1] * The official LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded in 2006 that such persons remained in prison. By estimate, only about 150-200 of the Rampart-FIPs were freed over the years through reversal of their false convictions. [2] * Prof Erwin Chemerinsky, founding Dean of the University of California Irvine Law School, in reviewing the case in 20001 wrote: “This is conduct associated with the most repressive dictators and police states… and judges must share responsibility when innocent people are convicted.” [3] * Then Dean, Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in reviewing the case in 2001 wrote: “…judges tried and sentenced a staggering number of people for crimes they did not commit.” [4]
Page 3/3
May 3, 2010
The obvious question remains unanswered: Why did FBI and US Department of Justice permit, and continue to permit the large scale false imprisonments in Los Angeles County, California? Any response on the matter would be greatly appreciated… Joseph Zernik Los Angeles County, California LINKS: [1] PBS Frontline - Rampart False Imprisonments http://www.scribd.com/doc/24901612/01-05-01-Rampart-FIPs-Rampart-First-Trial-PBS-FrontlineRampart-False-Imprisonments-s [2] LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel (2006) http://www.scribd.com/doc/24902306/06-07-15-LAPD-apos-s-Blue-Ribbon-Review-Panel-Report-2006 [3] Prof Erwin Chemerinsky - The Criminal Justice System of Los Angeles County, California: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27433920/00-09-01-The-criminal-justice-system-of-Los-Angeles-CountyCalifornia-by-E-Chemerinsky-57-Guild-Prac-121-2000 [4] Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk “Policing the Justice System” http://www.scribd.com/doc/29043589/00-00-00-David-Burcham-and-Katherine-Fisk-LoyolaSymposium-The-Rampart-Scandal-Policing-the-Criminal-Justice-System-2000-s
