Luzerne County Judges

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
Terrie Morgan-Besecker on Facebook   |   @TLTerrieMorgan on Twitter

UPDATE 10:35 a.m.

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Former Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan, left, and Mark Ciavarella, right, depart the Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Tuesday after facing new indictments relating to the Luzerne County corruption probe.

Fred Adams / For Times Leader

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Former Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan, center back, and Mark Ciavarella, center, depart the Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Tuesday, September 15, after facing new indictments relating to the Luzerne County corruption probe. Also pictured is Attorney Al Flora, left.

Pete G. Wilcox / Times Leader photo

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Related Documents

Ciavarella Plea .pdf
Ciavarella Bond .pdf
Ciavarella Release .pdf
Conahan Plea .pdf
Conahan Bond .pdf
Conahan Release .pdf

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SCRANTON -- U.S. attorneys asked a federal magistrate judge this morning to alter conditions of bail for former Luzerne County judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan, alleging the are trying to hide assets and may flee.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Houser told U.S. District Magistrate Judge Thomas Blewitt that Ciavarella had transferred a large sum of money to his daughter in 2008. His daughter then purchased a townhouse in Kingston in which the judge currently resides.

Houser said Conahan was recorded by federal agents stating that he was "judgement proof."

Those actions led prosecutors to believe the jduges are trying to hide assets.

Houser asked Blewiit to increase the former judges' bail to $500,000 but Blewitt declined.

The men were released under the same conditions they've been under, which includes them posting a Florida condominium as security.

POSTED at 10:25 a.m.

SCRANTON -- Former Luzerne County judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella entered pleas of not guilty this morning to charges contained in a 48-count  indictment filed last week.

The former jurists entered the pleas during a brief hearing before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Thomas Blewitt at the federal courthouse in Scranton.

The case will now proceed through the normal criminal trial procedure. Prosecutors will be required to turn over certain evidence gathered as part of the lengthy investigation. Various pre-trial motions are also expected to be filed.

A federal grand jury handed up an indictment on Sept. 9, charging Conahan and Ciavarella with racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering, wire fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors allege the former judges improperly accepted $2.8 million in payments from the one-time co-owner and builder of the PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care
juvenile detention centers.

For the complete story read Wednesday’s Times Leader.