A Bad Start
Ciavarella and Conahan are behind bars, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has begun repairing the damage these two monsters left in their wake:
On Thursday, Pennsylvania's highest court overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions issued by Ciavarella, ruling the disgraced judge violated the constitutional rights of youth offenders who appeared in his courtroom without lawyers between 2003 and 2008.
That's good, because the Supreme Court had a hand in enabling them:
The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center asked the Supreme Court to intervene in Luzerne County last year, citing statistics that Ciavarella was opting for detention in far high numbers than would be expected. The justices rejected the request without comment in early January, then changed their mind after Conahan and Ciavarella were charged.
That's right, the high court ignored prima facie evidence that something was amiss. They only got involved after the reminders of their questionable decision became too uncomfortable.
I hope every adult involved with destroying these children's lives, whether actively or simply by turning a blind eye, receives a felony conviction. Never ever again should they have any legal authority over others.
