News

January 31, 2010

Judicial board must turn over complaint

Stat Supreme Court rules panel should get misconduct report on ex-judge.

From staff and wire reports

HARRISBURG – A judicial board must turn over a confidential misconduct complaint against a former Luzerne County judge to a panel investigating the county’s juvenile justice corruption scandal.

The state Supreme Court rejected the state Judicial Conduct Board’s argument that the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice should not get the complaint about ex-judge Michael Conahan because it has no law enforcement or prosecutorial authority.

The report must only be shared with the commission, the high court said.

The commission and JCB have been at odds over the disclosure of complaints and related documents that were reportedly filed against Conahan and ex-judge Mark Ciavarella Jr. in the years before the men were arrested on corruption charges related to juvenile justice matters.

Conahan and Ciavarella are awaiting trial on racketeering charges. They are accused of improperly receiving $2.6 million to place youth offenders in for-profit detention facilities.

The commission will hold its next hearings regarding the juvenile justice scandal on Monday and Tuesday in Harrisburg.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews