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Models for Change Summary News Summary February 18 –March 4, 2011 Pennsylvania Summary Associated Press (AP) – Allentown Bureau ‘Pa. judge guilty of racketeering in kickback case’ – February 18, 2011 Posted on: http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/02/18/news/doc4d5ee937a6cd9029458749.txt A former juvenile court judge was convicted Friday of racketeering in a case that accused him of sending youth offenders to for-profit detention centers in exchange for millions of dollars in illicit payments from the builder and owner of the lockups… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Law seeks to correct its wrongs’ – February 19, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/news/Law_seeks_to_correct_its_wrongs_02-18-2011.html State Sen. Lisa Baker said the verdicts in the Mark Ciavarella corruption trial “confirm what our community has painfully learned over two years.”…Baker, R-Lehman Twp., has launched a push for juvenile justice reform by introducing a series of bills to protect the fundamental rights of kids entering the system… The Morning Call (Allentown) ‘Ciavarella had some help perpetrating his crimes’ – February 19, 2011 http://articles.mcall.com/2011-02-19/news/mc-paul-carpenter-ciavarella-20110219_1_juvenile-law- center-ciavarella-and-conahan-judge-mark-ciavarella Justice, a word that probably is not in former so-called Judge Mark Ciavarella's vocabulary, has finally been served. Ciavarella was convicted Friday on 12 federal counts involving a scheme in Luzerne County to put thousands of children in commercial juvenile detention facilities in return for millions in payoffs from the operators of the facilities…As early as 2005, the Supremes, responsible for the integrity of all courts in the state, were informed that something very bad was happening in Luzerne County. The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center notified the high court that juveniles in Luzerne County were being jailed after they were denied the right to counsel… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Lawyers: Ruling aids civil suits’ – February 20, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/news/Lawyers__Ruling_aids_civil_suits_02-20-2011.html Two attorneys representing juveniles in the “kids for cash” civil lawsuits said Friday’s verdict in former Judge Mark Ciavarella’s criminal trial won’t negatively impact the suits and may actually help bolster the claims… 1 News Summary February 18 –March 4, 2011 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Out of scandal, a new system’ – February 21, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/news/Out_of_scandal__a_new_system_02-20-2011.html Marred by scandal, Luzerne County’s juvenile justice system has begun to emerge from the rubble with the goal of some day becoming a model for the state. For the past two years, the juvenile court system has operated under a state a turmoil as officials worked to figure out how to right the wrongs that were committed under former juvenile Judge Mark Ciavarella’s 12-year tenure… Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Efforts underway to repair Luzerne County juvenile court system’ – February 21, 2011 http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/efforts-underway-to-repair-luzerne-county-juvenile-court-system- 1.1108188#axzz1Ej2kyN9K In a matter of minutes, a boy with buzzed hair shed his military fatigues and heavy-duty boots and traded them for a coat, sweatpants and sneakers he pulled from a clear plastic trash bag…The boy had just stood before Luzerne County Judge David Lupas, who commended him for the progress he made at the camp and took special interest in the boy's two spelling bee titles before he ruled the boy could return home…This isn't the story people usually tell about Luzerne County's juvenile court… Scranton Times-Tribune ‘Key juvenile court reforms’ – February 21, 2011 http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/key-juvenile-court-reforms-1.1108187#axzz1Ej2kyN9K State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., will introduce a bundle of bills that would prohibit the waiver of counsel in juvenile delinquency hearings, expedite appeals and require judges to explain on the record the reasoning behind the dispositions they enter… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘OPINION: Systemic ills of court system must be tackled’ – February 22, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/columnists/guydish/Systemic_ills__of_court_system__must_b e_tackled_MARK_GUYDISH_OPINION_02-21-2011.html The e-mail subject line was “best quote,” and while it’s too early to declare a winner, this has to be among the nominees. The writer, who asked for anonymity, recounted a conversation shortly after the verdict in former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella’s trial…The belief here is that those days are over, thanks to the work of attorney Al Flora since becoming chief public defender. Yes, Flora also served as Ciavarella’s lead defense attorney, and was overzealous in declaring Ciavarella’s conviction on racketeering and money laundering charges a victory… 2 News Summary February 18 –March 4, 2011 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ‘Letters: Try him as adult’ – February 22, 2011 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11053/1126994-110.stm Regarding the editorial "Child's Story: Superior Court Must End Wonderland Justice" (Jan. 31): I believe that Jordan Brown should be treated like any other person charged with killing another. He is charged with killing his father's fiancée and unborn child and shows no remorse. At age 11, a person should know killing someone is against the law… The Reading Eagle ‘Holly Herman: Fix Abraxas Academy ills’ – February 24, 2011 http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=289813 The conviction last Friday of former Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. in the "cash for kids" scheme made national news. Ciavarella was convicted of receiving $1 million from the builder of a detention center. Berks County Senior Judge Arthur E. Grim presided over the cases of kids whom Ciavarella sentenced to the facility. While Ciavarella's trial was going on in Scranton, the Reading Eagle was reporting on cases of juveniles in a Nov. 15 riot in Abraxas Academy, New Morgan… The Altoona Mirror ‘Blair courts ahead of state’ – February 27, 2011 http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/547657/Blair-courts-ahead-of-state.html? nav=742 A 16-year-old Blair County boy was in Juvenile Court before Blair County President Judge Jolene G. Kopriva last week stating that he wanted to leave detention and live with his grandfather. That wasn't in the cards, the judge explained…At Greystone, the boy will undergo anger management and a mental health evaluation, abide by rules, receive his education and work on a plan to return home… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Opinion: Go beyond scandal to promote change’ – February 27, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/Go_beyond_scandal_to_promote_change_02-27-2011.html RATHER THAN TRY and re-try former Luzerne County judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. in the court of public opinion, or try to psychoanalyze the youths (and parents of youths) who appeared years ago in his juvenile court, why don’t we try something else?... 3 News Summary February 18 –March 4, 2011 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘COMMENTARY: Real juvenile justice reform needed for area to recover’ – March 1, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/commentary/Real_juvenile_justice_reform_needed_for_area_t o_recover_COMMENTARY_John_Yudichak_02-28-2011.html WHEN A former Luzerne County judge recently was found guilty of racketeering and other offenses in connection with the incarceration of children at a Luzerne County juvenile detention center, the guilty verdict was only the first step toward healing families stung by this scandal and moving our community forward… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Area reps laud high court’s juvie justice reforms’ – March 2, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/news/Area_reps_laud_high_court_rsquo_s_juvie_justice_reforms_03- 02-2011.html Luzerne County’s representatives in the state Legislature voiced support Tuesday of the state Supreme Court’s implementation of reforms to the juvenile justice system. The high court on Tuesday issued an update to statewide changes already in place or under consideration to address issues within the juvenile justice system that were revealed by the corruption scandal in Luzerne County… The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre) ‘Pa. juvie justice promise is made’ – March 2, 2011 http://www.timesleader.com/news/Pa__juvie_justice_promise_is_made_03-02-2011.html The state Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an update to statewide changes that have been made or are currently being contemplated to address issues within the juvenile justice system that were revealed by the corruption scandal in Luzerne County… Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre) ‘State Supreme Court chief outlines juvenile justice reform’ – March 2, 2011 http://citizensvoice.com/news/state-supreme-court-chief-outlines-juvenile-justice-reform- 1.1112550#axzz1Fdpexjao Nine months after a state commission recommended sweeping changes for the corruption-stained juvenile justice system, young defendants have greater access to legal representation, victims have a voice in court proceedings and judges are required to provide justification before sending a youth to detention… 4 News Summary February 18 –March 4, 2011 Citizens’ Voice (Wilkes-Barre) ‘New youth aid panels follow state recommended reforms’ – March 3, 2011 http://citizensvoice.com/news/new-youth-aid-panels-follow-state-recommended-reforms- 1.1113168#axzz1Fdpexjao A new program for disciplining young people who break the law in Luzerne County dovetails with state efforts to reform juvenile justice proceedings, the program's coordinator said Wednesday. Bob Stevens said the
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