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10-05-01 Kids for Cash: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania vs Los

Angeles County, California, ABA Journal – news and comments

JUDICIARY

Ex-Judge to Plead Guilty in Kids-for-Cash Scandal; Is He ‘Singing Like a

Bird’?
Posted Apr 30, 2010 8:09 AM CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
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Former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan has agreed to plead guilty to one count of racketeering
conspiracy in the $2.8 million “kids for cash” scandal.
Conahan faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced,
according to the Legal Intelligencer and the Associated Press. The agreement does not include a
minimum sentence; instead it specifies the penalty will be “determined by the court.”
According to the Intelligencer, “The sentiment from several sources upon reviewing the plea deal was:
‘He must be singing like a bird.’ ” The sources said Conahan essentially ran the county and will be
expected to name lawyers or others in the alleged conspiracy.
Conahan and another judge, Mark Ciavarella Jr., were accused of accepting kickbacks in exchange for
jailing juveniles in a private detention facility. A federal judge rejected a plea deal last year that called
for sentences of 87 months in prison, saying the defendants had not accepted responsibility for their
wrongdoing.
Ciavarella’s lawyer, Al Flora Jr., told AP that his client maintains his innocence. ''He's going to trial,''
Flora said.
Related Topics
Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, White Collar Crime, Judiciary, Legal Ethics

COMMENTS

Page 2/3 May 3, 2010

9. Joseph Zernik

May 1, 2010 7:31 AM CDT

One must wonder why racketeering and false imprisonments in Luzerne County, PA, are prosecuted by
Federal agencies, while similar conditions in Los Angeles County, California, are fully patronized by FBI
and US Department of Justice. Already during the Rampart corruption scandal (1998-2000), false
imprisonments of thousands of Rampart FIPs (Falsely Imprisoned Persons) was documented. They are
almost exclusively blacks and Latinos, and by estimate about a third of them were still juveniles at the
time of their framing. However, Federal agencies permitted the Los Angeles County justice system to
investigate, prosecute, and judge itself, with predictable outcome.
By 2006, the LAPD’s Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded “Innocent people remain in prison”. It also
stated that the LA county justice system tolerated “a subcult of criminality in the ranks”, and called for an
external investigation.
No external investigation was ever instituted to this date.
Joseph Zernik
Los Angeles County, California

LINKS:
[1] The Rampart FIPs - a Review
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24729660/09-12-17-Rampart-FIPs-Falsely-Imprisoned-Persons-Review

11. Joseph Zernik

May 1, 2010 11:56 AM CDT

Mr McLeod failed to respond in on the matter itself in any way at all:

* The acclaimed PBS Frontline series - LAPD Blues - estimated in 2001 (and updated in 2008), the
number of those falsely convicted and falsely sentenced to long terms by the corrupt justice system of
Los Angeles County, California at 8,000 - 16,000, or more. [1]

* The official LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel concluded in 2006 that such persons remained in
prison. By estimate, only about 150-200 of the Rampart-FIPs were freed over the years through reversal
of their false convictions. [2]

* Prof Erwin Chemerinsky, founding Dean of the University of California Irvine Law School, in
reviewing the case in 20001 wrote: “This is conduct associated with the most repressive dictators and
police states… and judges must share responsibility when innocent people are convicted.” [3]

* Then Dean, Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in
reviewing the case in 2001 wrote: “…judges tried and sentenced a staggering number of people for
crimes they did not commit.” [4]

Page 3/3 May 3, 2010

The obvious question remains unanswered: Why did FBI and US Department of Justice permit, and
continue to permit the large scale false imprisonments in Los Angeles County, California?

Any response on the matter would be greatly appreciated…

Joseph Zernik
Los Angeles County, California

LINKS:

[1] PBS Frontline - Rampart False Imprisonments

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24901612/01-05-01-Rampart-FIPs-Rampart-First-Trial-PBS-Frontline-
Rampart-False-Imprisonments-s

[2] LAPD Blue Ribbon Review Panel (2006)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24902306/06-07-15-LAPD-apos-s-Blue-Ribbon-Review-Panel-Report-2006

[3] Prof Erwin Chemerinsky - The Criminal Justice System of Los Angeles County, California:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/27433920/00-09-01-The-criminal-justice-system-of-Los-Angeles-County-
California-by-E-Chemerinsky-57-Guild-Prac-121-2000

[4] Prof David Burcham and Prof Katherine Fisk “Policing the Justice System”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/29043589/00-00-00-David-Burcham-and-Katherine-Fisk-Loyola-
Symposium-The-Rampart-Scandal-Policing-the-Criminal-Justice-System-2000-s