Joe Biden granted Pennsylvania Judge Michael Conahan clemency. The kids did not receive the same sympathy. --Martin Armstrong
Two judges in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty today to taking huge payoffs to send teenagers to privately run detention centers.
Former judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan arrived at the federal courthouse . . .
Prosecutors accused them of sending juveniles to a privately run Detention Center
The evidence against the former judges was compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation . . .
In a scandal known as "Kids for Cash," . . .
A "Kids for Cash" scheme . . .
Don't cheat judges are getting a payback from the private sector.
$2.6 million dollars in kickbacks
In return for sentencing kids to juvenile detention . . . . Folks, that's not a bribe. I call that a Justice bonus.
Young offenders often with no prior record were brought before these judges for charges as minor as writing prank notes.
I don't deserve this. I mean I'm not a criminal.
These people are wolves and sheep's clothing because the kids trust these people. The people in this County trusted this guy.
10:30. Luzerne County, Pennsylvania January 2009.
11:12. We'd interviewed Judge Ciavarella a number of times back in 2004 when we first started looking into what was happening in juvenile court. We had actually gone to one of the schools while he was giving a presentation there because that was one of his big things. He went to every school, every year, and told them, "If you commit an offense in school, I'm going to put you away," and that was his justification. So that when they appeared before him, it didn't matter what the charge was, he'd ask them, "Were you there when I gave the speech?"
Yes.
"Did you hear what I said?"
Yes.
"What did I say?"
You said you would put me away.
"So what do you think is going to happen now?"
You're going to put me away.
"You're right. Take him out of here."
11:50. I'm very shy but once someone does get to know me, they find out that I don't shut up. And I'm really loud and I'm extremely cynical and snarky and sarcastic and just like I've made it my goal to be the funny guy. My girlfriends and I, we started talking about how funny it would be if we made like a fake Myspace page about my vice principal, and then it was decided that it had to be made and it was going to be hilarious.
11:33. The police officer said he was charging her with abuse of the internet, terrorism, and stalking, one of which was a federal crime, and I'm like, "Oh my, God," like I'm kind of freaking out. I told the officer that he was not speaking to my daughter without an attorney, and that's when he started yelling, telling me that parents like me trying to get our children off, and that's why they're bad kids. And as soon as I said no lawyer, he backed off. He said, if you're going to be cooperative, you'll get instructions in the mail. And I was like, he's telling us be cooperative and everything will be fine." When I came off the elevators, there were tables, and the woman slid a paper, a form but it was blank, and she said, "Do you have an attorney?" and I said, no, and she said, sign here. Okay, so I sign here. We were briskly brought into the courtroom. The judge leaned across the table and yelled "What makes you think you can do this kind of crap!" And I have my hand on Hillary's shoulder, so I could feel her backing up, and I just whispered in her ear "It's okay, it's okay."
13:47. Things went very quick in the courtroom. About 60 seconds, and while I was being handcuffed I could hear my mother wailing right next to me. And the woman who is cuffing me goes, "Look what you did to your mother," and I was just like I was completely confused.
