News

Supreme Court Names Master for Luzerne Juvenile Cases

February 10, 2009

HARRISBURG, Feb. 11, 2009 — The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today appointed a special master to review all cases in which Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. is alleged to have improperly committed juveniles to two detention facilities or to have denied juveniles their constitutional right to counsel. The court named Senior Judge Arthur E. Grim, of Berks County, as special master. Judge Grim, the former president judge of Berks County, is chairman of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges' Commission which sets standards for administrative practices and judicial procedures in juvenile courts in the Commonwealth. In its order, the Supreme Court said: "The Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County is directed to give the Special Master unlimited access and cooperation to assist him in discharging his duties in a timely fashion. The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office shall also provide cooperation to assist the Special Master in discharging his duties. "The goal of this Court is to determine whether the alleged travesty of juvenile justice in Luzerne County occurred, and if it did, to identify the affected juveniles and rectify the situation as fairly and swiftly as possible. The Special Master is directed to file an Interim Report with this Court within 120 days of the entry of this order." The Supreme Court exercised its rarely used King's Bench Power to order a review of juvenile cases in Luzerne County based on a petition by the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia and because criminal charges have been filed against Ciavarella and retired Judge Michael T. Conahan. The judges are accused of profiting from the placement of juvenile defendants in two private detention facilities. Ciavarella and Conahan have agreed to plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Scranton to federal charges of wire fraud, depriving the public of honest service and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. (A copy of Judge Grim’s biography and court order are also included)