Testimony helps peel back layers of allegations in Pa. juvenile court kickback case

Pa. panel hears testimony in court kickbacks case

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A judge tasked with unraveling an alleged $2.8 million kickback scheme involving two Pennsylvania judges says they presided over a juvenile justice system “run amok.”

Senior Bucks County Judge Arthur Grim told a state investigatory panel Monday that former Judge Mark Ciavarella (shiv-uh-REL’-uh) sentenced juvenile offenders to jail without exploring the charges against them.

Grim’s testimony follows his review of thousands of cases after the scandal came to light.

Ciavarella and former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan are accused of accepting payoffs from two private juvenile detention centers.

The state Supreme Court last month threw out thousands of juvenile cases that came before Ciavarella. It said none of the young offenders got a fair hearing.