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Michael T. Conahan
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This Pennsylvania-related article is a sprout. |
Michael T. Conahan is a former Court of Common Pleas judge in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Noteworthy events
Kids for cash scandal
On February 2009, Conahan and Mark Ciavarella, Jr. pled guilty before the Middle District of Pennsylvania federal bench on charges of wire fraud and income tax evasion for taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers run by Pennsylvania Child Care and a sister company, Western Pennsylvania Child Care.[1][2]
The State Employees Retirement System sought repayment of more than $21,000 in pension benefits paid to Conahan prior to his guilty plea.[3] Conahan withdrew his bid to collect pension benefits, which he challenged in April 2010. He did not offer a reason for the withdrawal.[4]
Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Kosik rejected their plea deals and issued a ruling declaring that they had failed to accept responsibility for their actions. Ciavarella faced trial on Monday, February 7, 2011. Conahan pleaded guilty to a single federal racketeering charge.[5][6]
Sentencing
In September 2011, Conahan was sentenced to seventeen and one-half years in prison and a fine of $874,000 for restitution.[7]
Continued litigation
In 2013, former state judge Ann H. Lokuta filed a suit claiming she was defamed and fired because she was an FBI informant in the case against the two judges.[8] Almost concurrently, plaintiffs in seven separate actions with claims based on the judges' actions moved to certify two classes. Class A includes about 2,400 children, 1,855 of whom were not informed of their rights before waiving counsel and/or pleading guilty, and about 1,442 who were referred to and imprisoned in the privately ran detention centers that were allegedly giving kickbacks to the judges. Class B is composed of about 2,400 children and their parents who paid fees related to the detention sentences.[8]
On May 21, 2013, Judge Caputo found that the plaintiffs met all the requirements for class certification, and granted the motion to certify the classes and proceed with the plaintiffs' claims.[8]
Recent news
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ New York Times, "Judges Plead Guilty in a profit scheme," February 12, 2009
- ↑ Times-Leader, "Joan Orie Melvin Speaks out on Judicial Corruption," April 15. 2009
- ↑ Times Leader "Retirement plan cuts Conahan" August 7, 2009
- ↑ Citizensvoice.com, "Disgraced judge Conahan gives up pension fight," June 3, 2011
- ↑ Associated Press "Former Pa. judge to go on trial in kickbacks case," February 6, 2011
- ↑ Associated Press "Former Pa. Judge To Go On Trial In Kickbacks Case," February 6, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Pennsylvania Judge Gets 17.5 Year Sentence in Kids-for-Cash Scandal," September 26, 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Courthouse News Service, "Court certifies class in 'kids for cash' case," May 21, 2013
Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
