Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

McKean County Senior Judge John Cleland has been appointed to preside over a libel suit brought by state Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery and his wife, five days after the co-owners of Philadelphia's two major newspapers won a bid to recuse the entire Philadelphia bench. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts recommended Cleland, who was later approved by Supreme Court Justice Thomas G. Saylor. Cleland presided over the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse trial and was also chairman of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice that looked into the Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Supreme Court says it won't hear an appeal from a former Luzerne County judge convicted in the "kids for cash" scandal, meaning his conviction and sentence will stand. Mark Ciavarella Jr. is serving a 28-year prison sentence after his 2011 conviction on federal corruption charges. Prosecutors say Ciavarella and a second judge took millions of dollars from the owner and builder of two for-profit juvenile detention centers where he was sending thousands of young offenders. A jury convicted Ciavarella of racketeering and conspiracy. His former colleague Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Senior Judge John M. Cleland, who has earned a reputation in the region and throughout Pennsylvania for his unwavering fairness and strong commitment to juvenile justice during his 30 years on bench, will address the graduating class at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in April. Cleland, who is also a member and past chairman of the university’s Advisory Board and a Kane native, will deliver the keynote address during commencement exercises Sunday, April 27, in the KOA Arena in the Richard E. and Ruth McDowell Sport and Fitness Center. “It is a distinct honor for our university to have John Cleland address our graduates, particularly during this milestone year as we celebrate our 50th anniversary,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, Pitt-Bradford’s president. “Though he is well-respected throughout Pennsylvania, he has never forgotten his small-town roots, which will enable him to offer practical and valuable advice to our graduates and their families.” ...

HARRISBURG — Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille today presented a final update on how the judiciary has addressed recommendations to bolster the state’s juvenile justice system after failures in Luzerne County led to the federal prosecution of two judges. The chief justice’s eight-page report outlines a statewide revamping of many court rules and practices taken by the court over the past three years. It was presented at the Juvenile Justice Academy held in Hershey. The Judicial Education Department of the AOPC hosted the first Juvenile Justice Academy as part of its spring symposium to familiarize juvenile court judges with the latest law, rules and practice of adjudicating young offenders. The faculty includes leading juvenile justice practitioners and legal experts. The changes outlined by the chief justice were based on a series of recommendations from the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which was chaired by Supreme Court appointee Senior Judge Joh...

HARRISBURG — The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has adopted changes designed to speed the appellate review of cases where child offenders are placed outside their homes in court delinquency matters. The changes made to the state’s Appellate Court Procedural Rules make a significant difference in how quickly out-of-home placement cases are reviewed. Such cases are ones in which juveniles typically are sent to a detention center or residential facility. “Although the number of these types of cases may be relatively small, the rules that the Court adopted make our juvenile justice system stronger,” Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Ronald D. Castille said. “The rules should also help appellate courts identify specific instances of sentencing abuse by individual judges. These new rules should boost the confidence Pennsylvanians have in the courts that adjudicate juveniles.” Prompting the changes was a comprehensive report prepared by the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice ...

Judge John Cleland will be the speaker for Kane Area High School’s commencement exercises on June 8. Cleland is a Kane native and 1965 graduate of Kane High School. He was appointed to the McKean County Court of Common Pleas 1984. He was a Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge from 2008 to 2009. Cleland chaired the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice that was created to investigate the circumstances that led to the Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. Now, he is presiding over the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Governor Tom Corbett today took part in a signing of a new juvenile justice reform package designed to protect children within Pennsylvania's criminal court system. Senate Bills 815 and 818 were created in response to the 2008 "Cash for Kids" scandal that resulted in the wrongful incarceration of numerous juveniles and, ultimately, the imprisonment of two former Luzerne County judges. Pictured, Corbett speaks with Laurene and Hillary Transue of White Haven, Luzerne County. Hillary has become an advocate for juvenile justice after being wrongly incarcerated in the 'Cash for Kids' scandal. Provided by Commonwealth Media Services

A judge appointed nearly three years ago to review thousands of juvenile convictions following the “Kids for Cash” scandal in Luzerne County has finished his work. The state Supreme Court said today that Berks County Senior Judge Arthur Grim has completed his review of cases handled by former Judge Mark Ciavarella, Jr. The justices returned control of all juvenile court functions to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. Ciavarella was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for taking $1 million in bribes from the owner and builder of a pair of for-profit youth detention centers. Former judge Michael Conahan pleaded guilty and is serving a 17-year prison term. The Supreme Court followed Grim's 2009 recommendation and dismissed the convictions of more than 2,000 juvenile offenders. The justices said Ciavarella disregarded the youths' constitutional rights, including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea. Judge John Cleland of McKean County, w...

The law firm of Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Conboy (CBMC) announced that a partial settlement has been reached in the Luzerne County juvenile detention civil case. Under the agreement, Mericle Construction and its president, Robert K. Mericle, will pay $17.75 million into a settlement fund. "We could not be more pleased on behalf of these kids and their parents who have been waiting for this day for years," said William R. Caroselli. CBMC was the first firm to file a civil case in the matter, and Caroselli, David Senoff, and Lauren Fantini led the effort along with co-counsels Mike Cefalo and James Albert. The settlement resolves all claims against Mericle Construction, Mr. Mericle and Luzerne County. The lawsuits will continue against, among others, the former judges, Robert Powell, and the private juvenile facilities. The settlement has been entered into with no admission of liability. To read the release issued jointly by all of the settlement participants, please...

McKean County Senior Judge John Cleland will be hearing the matters related to the case of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Cleland was appointed to the case after all Centre County Common Pleas Court judges recused themselves, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. Court officials said the judges recused themselves to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest due to real or perceived connections to Sandusky, The Second Mile charity he founded, or Penn State University. Until Cleland assumes jurisdiction, petitions filed by counsel will be heard by President Judge Kathy Morrow of Perry and Juniata counties. Neither judge has any known connections with Sandusky, Penn State, or The Second Mile, according to court officials. Sandusky faces 40 criminal counts for sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 13 in Centre County. Judge Cleland has been a jurist since 1984. He has ser...

HARRISBURG - The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved legislation sponsored by Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) to reform the juvenile justice system and protect the fundamental rights of kids entering the system. Baker's bills will: Eliminate waiving counsel in juvenile delinquency hearings Create a victim advocate devoted to juvenile justice Require judges to state on the record the reasons behind disposition orders Prohibit shackling of juveniles in the courtroom Senator Baker was joined by Senator John Yudichak and Sandy Fonzo, who's son Edward Kenzakoski was among the juveniles sentenced by Judge Ciavarella. She shared with the committee her personal story of how this injustice has impacted her family. Senator Baker's remarks to the committee follow: Our justice system is supposed to safeguard rights and protect people. Yet, because of unimaginable judicial corruption in Luzerne County, we find ourselves debating ways to protect our kids from abuse at the hands of the ...

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille today released a progress report on changes the courts are in the process of making in response to the juvenile justice scandal in Luzerne County. Most of the changes stem from recommendations of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice that was created by the courts, in conjunction with the executive and legislative branches, in August 2009 to investigate the scandal and develop recommendations for reform. "I believe it is important for the people of Pennsylvania to know that Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System and the Supreme Court have not let the Commission’s report simply gather dust on a shelf," Chief Justice Castille said. "The Judiciary is committed to improving the juvenile justice system so that the problems that were highlighted by the tragedy in Luzerne County are never repeated there or in any other county. The Chief Justice said that over the past nine months since the Commiss...

Senator Lisa Baker has launched the first full-session push for juvenile justice reform by introducing a series of bills to protect the fundamental rights of kids entering the system. "For too many years, the system utterly and completely failed to protect juveniles in Luzerne County. Now, it is our obligation to approve legislation, judicial rule changes, and administrative procedures necessary to safeguard the rights of juveniles, as the state Constitution requires and a commitment to quality justice dictates," Baker said. Baker's bills will: ~~ Eliminate waiving counsel in juvenile delinquency hearings ~~ Create a victim advocate devoted to juvenile justice ~~ Require judges to state on the record the reasons behind disposition orders ~~ Expedite appellate review of juvenile cases ~~ Prohibit shackling of juveniles in the courtroom Baker believes that the wide-raging recommendations of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice must be enacted, plus several reform...

The former Luzerne County judge involved in the Kids for Cash scandal has been convicted of racketeering. A jury found 61-year-old Mark Ciavarella guilty of 12 of 39 counts. Federal prosecutors accused Ciavarella and a second judge, Michael Conahan, of taking nearly million in bribes from the builder of two juvenile detention centers and extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the facilities' co-owner. .He then sent children who committed minor offenses to the centers to keep the beds full and justify building the centers. The state Supreme Court threw out about 5,000 convictions. Judge John Cleland chaired the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice that investigated the Kids for Cash scandal and the underlying corruption in the county. During a talk Wednesday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Cleland said whether Ciavarella is convicted or not “makes no difference to the children involved.”

On the day a Luzerne County jury started deliberating in the case of Judge Mark Ciavarella, Judge John Cleland was at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford talking about the "Kids for Cash" scandal and Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which he chaired. You can listen to his presentation by following the links below. Part 1 You can watch the 20/20 videos: Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 Part 2 Part 3 (question and answer session) In Part 4 Cleland talks about a boy who's story sticks with him. Pictured, Judge Cleland and a group of students Dr. Tony Gaskew described as "some of the most talented and brightest criminal justice students we have at UPB." You can read some of our previous stories about Kids for Cash here .

RadioPA’s Matt Paul reports that federal prosecutors say former Luzerne County Judge Ciavarella and former county President Judge Michael Conahan received payments from the builder and co-owner of two juvenile detention facilities in a $2.8 million Kids for Cash scheme which prompted the state Supreme Court to throw out thousands of convictions. While on the stand, Ciavarella admitted accepting "finder's fees" from a developer but not bribes. Conahan has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. Judge John Cleland will be talking about the Kids For Cash scandal at 7 o’clock tonight in the Bromeley Family Theater. Cleland was chairman of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which investigated what Cleland called “the breathtaking collapse of the juvenile justice system in Luzerne County.”

McKean County’s former President Judge John Cleland will speak about his role in leading an investigation of the Luzerne County “kids for cash” judicial scandal, called by some the biggest judicial corruption case in American legal history. Cleland was named chairman of the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice, which investigated what Cleland called “the breathtaking collapse of the juvenile justice system in Luzerne County.” Cleland’s talk will take place at 7 p.m. February 16 in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall on the Pitt-Bradford campus. The Interbranch Commission was organized in August 2009 and held months of hearings before issuing its final report in May 2010. The Commission made more than 40 recommendations, including suggesting changes in juvenile court rules of procedure, reforms in the ways judges and attorneys are disciplined for professional misconduct, elimination of school “zero tolerance” policies, and enhanced training for prosecutors and public de...

HARRISBURG —The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice today adopted its final Report on failures in the juvenile justice system of Luzerne County and made a broad series of recommendations for strengthening and improving the justice system statewide. The commission's recommendations include strengthening the disciplinary systems for judges and lawyers, improving services to victims of juvenile crimes, improving training for lawyers and judges who work in juvenile courts and establishing statewide ethical standards for juvenile probation officers. The Report and a summary of all recommendations are available on the Web site of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. "The Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice was created last August 2009 with a mandate to investigate the juvenile justice scandal in Luzerne County and to develop appropriate recommendations for reform," said Commission Chairman John M. Cleland, a senior judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court....