Pa. high court: Juveniles suing crooked judge who took money can keep their records

Juveniles suing crooked Pa. judge can keep records

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered the preservation of court records of juveniles who are suing a corrupt judge.

The court had previously said the records should be destroyed, prompting complaints from attorneys for the juveniles.

The attorneys said loss of the records could imperil the youths’ ability to recover damages from the judge and others implicated in the corruption scandal.

Wednesday’s order covers the records of about 400 youths who’ve sued the judge. It doesn’t cover youths who aren’t part of the litigation but who may be entitled to damages if the case is certified a class action. Attorneys want those records preserved, too.

Former Judge Mark Ciavarella (shiv-uh-REL’-uh) was charged this year with taking millions of dollars to put juvenile offenders in privately owned detention centers, tainting up to 6,500 convictions. He and another judge have pleaded guilty to fraud.