Conahan staff costs to exceed $173,000

WILKES-BARRE – Newly retired Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan will keep his entire staff at an annual cost of more than $173,000 once he begins working as a senior judge.

Four staff members will be assigned to him on a full-time basis – an arrangement President Judge Mark Ciavarella acknowledged is unique to Conahan. The other three senior judges who hear cases in the county share a staff of five, he said, including two tipstaff, two secretaries and one law clerk. The staffing was approved last week by the county Salary Board on the recommendation of Ciavarella.

Conahan’s staff will consist of law clerk Barbara Nause, at an annual salary of $42,061; executive secretary Deb Reznick, $49,750; tipstaff Nick Callen, $42,276; and secretary/stenographer Danielle Goldowski, $39,338, for a total of $173,425.

Ciavarella said he believes the special staffing arrangement is justified because Conahan’s primary duty will be to preside over the county’s drug treatment court, which is significantly more labor intensive than most other court hearings.

The drug court staff, which includes probation department officials, closely monitors participants to ensure they are complying with treatment and employment objectives.

Ciavarella said Conahan’s staff has received specialized training in drug court operations and would remain with the drug court, regardless of which judge presides over it.

Although Conahan will be part time – senior judges cannot work more than 13 days per month – his staff will work full time, handling various aspects of the drug court, Ciavarella said. He said he was not certain of the specific function of each employee. He referred those questions to Conahan, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Kelly Cesari, drug court coordinator, said 49 defendants are enrolled, up from 30 when the court opened in January 2007. She hopes to have 70 defendants by the end of the year.

Conahan, who retired Monday, officially assumed senior judge status on Tuesday. He joins senior judges Clinton Smith, Carson Brown and Patrick Toole in hearing cases in Luzerne County.

Art Heinz, spokesman for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, said senior judges are paid a flat rate of $483 per day worked, regardless of the number of cases or hours.

That cost is paid by the state, but the judge’s staff and office space is picked up by the county in which they preside. A senior judge’s total annual compensation, including his or her pension, cannot exceed the salary of a sitting judge, which in 2008 is $157,441, he said.

Heinz said any judge who retires is eligible to become a senior judge. There are approximately 100 senior judges statewide who are employed to ease heavy caseloads. Any county can request appointment of a senior judge by filing an application that demonstrates a need.

In Luzerne County, Ciavarella said the senior judges are needed to help handle a significant increase in the caseload over the past several years.

“We’re going to have over 8,000 criminal cases come through the court this year,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable.”