# Mass Review Of Corrupt PA Judge's Cases **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001 "2009-03-27T15:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/1 "2009-03-27T15:46:53Z")
[News from Luzerne County, PA:](http://www.timesleader.com/news/Juvenile_records_to_be_erased_03-27-2009.html) > [@](#): > > The state Supreme Court on Thursday approved a judge’s recommendation that would erase the criminal records of all juveniles charged with certain minor offenses who appeared before Judge Mark Ciavarella over a five-year period… > > Ciavarella is awaiting sentencing on a guilty plea for accepting kickbacks in exchange for decisions and rulings that led to use of two privately owned juvenile detention centers… This sort of thing is why I consider gross abuse of the public trust to be one of the crimes for which the death penalty should be an option. Admittedly, these days it just isn’t done in the old-time style: [QUOTE=Herodotus] Sisamnes… being of the number of the royal judges, had taken money to give an unrighteous sentence. Therefore Cambyses slew and flayed Sisamnes, and cutting his skin into strips, stretched them across the seat of the throne whereon he had been wont to sit when he heard causes. Having so done Cambyses appointed the son of Sisamnes to be judge in his father’s room, and bade him never forget in what way his seat was cushioned. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/2 "2009-03-27T16:16:28Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > This sort of thing is why I consider gross abuse of the public trust to be one of the crimes for which the death penalty should be an option. Admittedly, these days it just isn’t done in the old-time style: Actually this is why im 100% against the dead penalty. We are talking about corrupt judges here, theres another thread in the pit about an asshole cop, and yet somehow people still think its ok this people should have power over someones life or death. Not to mention lawyers and the weakest link in the chain, juries of our “peers”. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/3 "2009-03-27T16:31:45Z")
They should just sentence him to the same amount of time he wrongly incarcerated others for. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/4 "2009-03-27T21:10:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Therefore Cambyses slew and flayed Sisamnes, and cutting his skin into strips, stretched them across the seat of the throne whereon he had been wont to sit when he heard causes. Having so done Cambyses appointed the son of Sisamnes to be judge in his father’s room, and bade him never forget in what way his seat was cushioned. _That’s_ how you go about Upholstering the Law. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/5 "2009-03-28T19:11:51Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Actually this is why im 100% against the dead penalty. Are you against jails, too? None of these kids were sentenced to death. Heck, while we’re at it, let’s abolish all laws. That’ll get rid of corrupt judges. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/6 "2009-03-28T19:15:35Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Are you against jails, too? None of these kids were sentenced to death. > > Heck, while we’re at it, let’s abolish all laws. That’ll get rid of corrupt judges. :rolleyes: This comment makes no sense at all. WTF are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/7 "2009-03-28T19:20:00Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Are you against jails, too? None of these kids were sentenced to death. Good thing, too, because erasing the criminal record of a corpse is not exactly the most useful remedy. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/8 "2009-03-28T23:08:03Z")
I must be missing the source of the outrage. The judge used two privately owned detention centres. The report doesn’t say that he imposed inappropriate sentences to use them. Clearly what he did was incorrect but unless there is further information confirming that he did impose extra sentences to get extra kickbacks I can not get too excited. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/9 "2009-03-28T23:20:26Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I must be missing the source of the outrage. The judge used two privately owned detention centres. The report doesn’t say that he imposed inappropriate sentences to use them. Clearly what he did was incorrect but unless there is further information confirming that he did impose extra sentences to get extra kickbacks I can not get too excited. There is a **lot** of prior information about the inappropriateness of his sentences, which were often more severe than the prosecution recommended, and hinged on his sending people to those two detention centers (for some reason, he was permitted to close the county-owned facility and make exclusive use of them) in exchange for kickbacks. Do a little googling on the judge’s name for details; it’s scattered over a significant period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/10 "2009-03-28T23:24:06Z")
Strangely enough, I am of the view that sufficient information should be provided within a thread. It should not be required that the reader have to do significant research to understand what is being spoken of. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/11 "2009-03-28T23:58:12Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Strangely enough, I am of the view that sufficient information should be provided within a thread. It should not be required that the reader have to do significant research to understand what is being spoken of. You’re probably right, but this case has been discussed here a few times already (mostly in the pit, for obvious reasons). Consider [this](http://pysih.com/2009/02/24/judge-mark-ciavarella-and-judge-michael-conahan/) an introduction. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/12 "2009-03-29T00:06:09Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > You’re probably right, but this case has been discussed here a few times already (mostly in the pit, for obvious reasons). > > Consider [this](http://pysih.com/2009/02/24/judge-mark-ciavarella-and-judge-michael-conahan/) an introduction. Thanks- I had missed that. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/13 "2009-03-29T00:36:41Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Are you against jails, too? None of these kids were sentenced to death. > > Heck, while we’re at it, let’s abolish all laws. That’ll get rid of corrupt judges. :rolleyes: You are not really this stupid are you? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-review-of-corrupt-pa-judges-cases/491001/14 "2009-03-29T00:41:20Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Actually this is why im 100% against the dead penalty. We are talking about corrupt judges here, theres another thread in the pit about an asshole cop, and yet somehow people still think its ok this people should have power over someones life or death. Not to mention lawyers and the weakest link in the chain, juries of our “peers”. Juries are the strongest link in this chain. You might read about a case every few years where the jury is just plain wrong, and sometimes that isn’t because of bad reporting. But bad juries are much more uncommon than bad judges or bad lawyers IMHO.