Related links
A federal judge has rejected the guilty pleas of former Luzerne County judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella.
In court documents released late Friday afternoon, U.S.District Judge Edwin Kosik wrote given Conahan and Ciavarella's recent actions, the punishment previously agreed to may not be severe enough given their conduct.
The U.S. attorney is now looking into the case.
The former judges pleaded guilty back in Febraury in federal court in Scranton.
They admitted to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a $2.6 million kickback scheme for keeping a privately-run juvenile detention center up and running.
Now that those guilty pleas have been rejected by a federal judge, a court hearing will be scheduled on the matter at which time Conahan and Ciavarella will have an opportunity to take back their guilty pleas. If they don't take back those guilty pleas, Judge Kosik could give them a more serious sentence than originally agreed upon.
According to court documents, Conahan filed several objections to the pre-sentencing report. In Friday's ruling, Judge Kosik wrote Conahan, " attempted to obstruct and impede justice" and failed to take responsibility for what he had done.
The report also critcized former judge Ciavarella for making public apologies more for himself, than for his actions. The judge called such denials, "self serving and abundantly contradicted by the evidence."
Newswatch 16 will continue to follow this developing story and will have more information as it becomes available.
In court documents released late Friday afternoon, U.S.District Judge Edwin Kosik wrote given Conahan and Ciavarella's recent actions, the punishment previously agreed to may not be severe enough given their conduct.
 |
The former judges pleaded guilty back in Febraury in federal court in Scranton.
They admitted to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a $2.6 million kickback scheme for keeping a privately-run juvenile detention center up and running.
Now that those guilty pleas have been rejected by a federal judge, a court hearing will be scheduled on the matter at which time Conahan and Ciavarella will have an opportunity to take back their guilty pleas. If they don't take back those guilty pleas, Judge Kosik could give them a more serious sentence than originally agreed upon.
According to court documents, Conahan filed several objections to the pre-sentencing report. In Friday's ruling, Judge Kosik wrote Conahan, " attempted to obstruct and impede justice" and failed to take responsibility for what he had done.
The report also critcized former judge Ciavarella for making public apologies more for himself, than for his actions. The judge called such denials, "self serving and abundantly contradicted by the evidence."
Newswatch 16 will continue to follow this developing story and will have more information as it becomes available.
