Is there anything more despicable than a judge who sells his decisions for cold hard cash? Maybe, but I’m hard-pressed to come up with what that might be at the moment. Actually, I’m mistaken. The only thing more despicable than a judge who sells his rulings for cold hard cash would be TWO judges doing it.
That’s exactly what’s happened in Pennsylvania. Two judges have been convicted of selling their services to the highest bidder, in these cases to for-profit youth detention centers.
Judge Mark Ciavarella and Judge Michael Conahan were convicted of receiving over $2.6 million dollars for sentencing youth to a pair of for-profit youth jails. In many cases, this sentencing was over the objections of the probation officers involved in the cases.
“Money talks, common sense walks” seems to be the slogan these two
assholes operated by. You’ll have to excuse my language, but I don’t have a lot of tolerance for people in positions of power who use that power to line their own pockets, especially when that pocket-lining comes at the expense of young teenagers.
I hope and pray these two [former] judges get the FULL prison experience, if you get my meaning. Seems the least they deserve for selling kids for cash, don’t you think?
The downside, at least at this point, is that won’t be happening any time soon. They’re both out on bail while they await sentencing.
Despicable.
One mother even blames Judge Mark Ciavarella for the death of her son, a promising young wrestler who was falling into the wrong crowd.
Sandy Fonzo’s son Edward Kenzakoski committed suicide last summer. He was only 17 years old.
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. Her son, a gifted athlete, falling into the drug crowd, and starting to lose his way. She intervenes and brings her son before the judge, hoping that the experience would shock him back onto the right path.
Imagine her shock and horror when, against her objections and those of pretty much everyone involved in the case, the judge sentences him to four months, and has him hauled out of the courtroom in shackles.
No goodbye, no anything.
Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Sandy is understandably upset and bitter about the fact that her son is dead, and Judge Mark Ciavarella gets to go home and sleep in his own bed after being convicted.
For the whole story, check out this YouTube video that goes into the whole sordid case.
A corrupt Judge in Canada you say?
Do you think there may be others? I suspect that a person who would qualify for the Bench would be smart enough not to be caught. Do you think there may also be corrupt bureaucrats and politicians in Canada as well?
I spend time in Mexico and “everyone” in Canada and the U.S. can quote the Billions of dollars corruption costs that country. I listened to a well known Canadian at a dinner party. He was spelling out figures relating to the situation in Mexico. When he had finished his long speech everyone at the table agreed, suggesting Mexico was indeed, stupid, archaic and hopeless.
When everyone had finished saying such things as their not wanting to “ever” live in such a backward country I finally took me turn and addressed the group.
I asked that if everyone thought of Canada as a progressive, law-abiding country, with all our safety measures and watch dogs we have in place, why could we not have an idea what Canadian Corruption was costing us? I asked the very knowledgeable speaker if he could give us an idea of the cost of corruption in a country he felt was the envy of the world.
I was treated to a number of smiles and head-shaking but the Speaker only glared at me. I have to admit I was in way over my head, surrounded by a Banker, Lawyers, one Judge, a Stockbroker, one MP and the speaker, whom they all looked up to.
Christopher…I’ve sent the last comment and had spelling errors such as their and there. Two finger typing does have it’s moments! Is there a spell check on this site?
No worries, Kenneth, I’ve corrected the typos.