Luzerne County Judges

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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Attorney Robert J. Powell’s career as a lawyer has come to an end for now.

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Powell

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The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday temporarily suspended Powell’s status as an attorney, citing a criminal conviction.

Powell, 49, pleaded guilty in July to federal felony charges for failing to report alleged illegal activities by former Luzerne County judges Mark A. Ciavarella and Michael T. Conahan.

The one-page order released on Tuesday does not contain an opinion by the Supreme Court stating its reason for suspending Powell’s law license. The matter has been referred to the Disciplinary Board.

The Disciplinary Board, an independent agency made up of 14 attorneys and two non-attorneys under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction, regulates attorney conduct.

Attorney Paul Killion, chief counsel for the Disciplinary Board, said Powell’s law license was suspended due to his guilty plea in federal court.

“Typically, lawyers convicted of a crime and after sentence, that is grounds for discipline and we proceed with action on the (law) license,” Killion said. “In this instance, he hasn’t been sentenced yet, but conferring with his lawyer (Mark B. Sheppard), we thought it was important that he discontinue his practice as soon as possible and surrender his license.”

Sheppard said Powell voluntarily agreed to surrender his law license. Powell currently owns his own law firm, the Powell Law Group in Butler Township.

Killion and Sheppard said lawyers employed by Powell’s firm can continue to practice law and accept new and service current clients.

Powell, on the other hand, must stop accepting new clients and refer his current clients to new attorneys, Killion said.

Powell pleaded guilty in federal court on July 1 to failing to report a felony and being an accessory after the fact to tax evasion – offenses that carry a total penalty of up to 5� years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines. Powell also agreed to forfeit his ownership interest in a yacht and a corporate jet.

Federal authorities allege Powell paid Ciavarella and Conahan more than $772,000 in alleged kickbacks, often disguising the payments as rental fees for docking his boat at the judges’ condominium in Florida.

Powell told investigators that Ciavarella and Conahan allegedly demanded the kickbacks in exchange for closing the county’s juvenile detention center and sending juvenile offenders to private centers in Pittston Township and Butler County that Powell formerly co-owned, according to the federal indictment against Powell.