Forums | MacLife

radarman · 2009-10-30 8:43 pm

http://post-gazette.com/pg/09303/1009500-100.stm

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday dismissed thousands of juvenile convictions issued by a judge charged in a corruption scandal, saying that none of the young offenders got a fair hearing.

The high court yesterday threw out more than five years' worth of juvenile cases heard by disgraced former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella, who is charged with accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks to send youths to private detention centers.

The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, which represents some of the youths, said the court's order covers as many as 6,500 cases. The justices barred any possibility of retrial in all but a fraction of them.

"This is exactly the relief these kids needed," said Marsha Levick, the center's legal director. "It's the most serious judicial corruption scandal in our history and the court took an extraordinary step in addressing it."

The Supreme Court had previously overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions involving low-level offenses. Yesterday's ruling covered all cases heard by Mr. Ciavarella between 2003 and 2008, including ones involving more serious crimes.

For those who aren't familiar with the case, it involves a scumbag judge who took bribes from private juvenile prisons to send as many kids as possible to their prison.

As far as I'm concerned, the pieces of excrement involved in this need to get the sum total of the sentences this judge handed down. If that works out to several life sentences, good.

resedit · 2009-10-30 9:33 pm

As far as I'm concerned, the pieces of excrement involved in this need to get the sum total of the sentences this judge handed down. If that works out to several life sentences, good.

++

matt · 2009-10-30 10:40 pm

Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.

DevoDoc · 2009-10-30 10:43 pm

matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.

Daniel · 2009-10-30 10:48 pm

matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.

He should be executed.

I do not support the death penalty applied to citizens. I fully support it applied to government authorities.

Daniel · 2009-10-30 10:50 pm

A 13-year-old convicted in 2003 would be 19 now. Illegitimately removing the teenage years from a person is inexcusable and irreparable.

Pariah · 2009-10-31 4:16 am

matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.

I doubt there is consensus on the cause of this injustice.
I have to point out that this judge was corrupted by the large amount of money a private prison corporation was able to offer for fixed trials.
Something no public prison managers would have ever been able to do and would have lacked motivation, profit, to do so.
The symptom here is a corrupt judge, the problem is a multi-billion dollar private prison industry that has a financial interest in locking people up for as long as possible, innocent or guilty.

Anonymous Delivers! · 2009-10-31 7:47 pm

Daniel wrote:
matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.
He should be executed.

But that's not very poetic!

jerwin · 2009-10-31 7:53 pm

Anonymous Delivers! wrote:
Daniel wrote:
matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.
He should be executed.
But that's not very poetic!

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001)

matt · 2009-10-31 9:39 pm

Pariah wrote:
matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.
I doubt there is consensus on the cause of this injustice.
I have to point out that this judge was corrupted by the large amount of money a private prison corporation was able to offer for fixed trials.
Something no public prison managers would have ever been able to do and would have lacked motivation, profit, to do so.
The symptom here is a corrupt judge, the problem is a multi-billion dollar private prison industry that has a financial interest in locking people up for as long as possible, innocent or guilty.

That's accurate.

radarman · 2009-10-31 11:25 pm

matt wrote:
Pariah wrote:
matt wrote:
Wow. A topic everyone here can agree on!

I think sentencing him to the sum of all illegitimate sentences is a great idea.
I doubt there is consensus on the cause of this injustice.
I have to point out that this judge was corrupted by the large amount of money a private prison corporation was able to offer for fixed trials.
Something no public prison managers would have ever been able to do and would have lacked motivation, profit, to do so.
The symptom here is a corrupt judge, the problem is a multi-billion dollar private prison industry that has a financial interest in locking people up for as long as possible, innocent or guilty.
That's accurate.

The worst part is that it appears the private prisons really aren't that much cheaper than the public ones. Frankly, I think it's time to bring on some Chavez style nationalization, and bring all prisons back under public control. In more than a few cases, we should put the previous owners in them.

Jdude · 2009-11-01 1:06 am

I wouldn't be surprised if this dude gets wacked.

If that does not happen, I support the doubleplus infinity time in prison.

MysticCow · 2009-11-01 9:08 am

I think the judge needs to pay every single child for their erroneous sentences. Going to jail is a traumatic thing and no amount of "I'm sorry" can make up for that.

matt · 2009-11-01 10:33 am

That's a good idea, in addition to making him serve the combination of each of their sentences.

Pariah · 2009-11-01 12:14 pm

MysticCow wrote:
I think the judge needs to pay every single child for their erroneous sentences. Going to jail is a traumatic thing and no amount of "I'm sorry" can make up for that.

The state needs to pay substantial remuneration to the victims. After all, it is the state that set the stage for this situation by adopting private prisons.
Like I said, the judge is just a symptom, the problem is the corruption that is going to be inherent in any for profit prison system.
Makes you wonder how many others are rotting away in prison just so the corporate bottom line is fatter. My guess would be well into the tens of thousands.

Pariah · 2009-11-01 2:19 pm

I might add that the assets of the prison corp should be seized, all of them in all states if any and the shareholders investment wiped out.

Robert B. · 2009-11-01 4:25 pm

jerwin wrote:
OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley (Aug. 23, 1849 – July 11, 1903 )

fixed

hey, let's cite the correct author, and not the piece of smurf who quoted him.

jerwin · 2009-11-01 4:28 pm

Robert B. wrote:
jerwin wrote:
William Ernest Henley (Aug. 23, 1849 – July 11, 1903 )
fixed
hey, let's cite the correct author, and not the piece of smurf who quoted him.

I took issue with the idea that the death penalty is in any way "poetic".

Last edited by jerwin (2009-11-01 4:28 pm)

[Tycho?] · 2009-11-01 5:01 pm

See, private prisons are a great idea. The market will work itself out, and the results will be beneficial for everyone. What could go wrong?

Robert B. · 2009-11-01 5:49 pm

jerwin wrote:
Robert B. wrote:
jerwin wrote:
William Ernest Henley (Aug. 23, 1849 – July 11, 1903 )
fixed
hey, let's cite the correct author, and not the piece of smurf who quoted him.
I took issue with the idea that the death penalty is in any way "poetic".

Okay, so? I took issue with attributing a poem to a piece of smurf human being and not the correct author.

jerwin · 2009-11-01 6:21 pm

Robert B. wrote:
jerwin wrote:
Robert B. wrote:

fixed
hey, let's cite the correct author, and not the piece of smurf who quoted him.
I took issue with the idea that the death penalty is in any way "poetic".
Okay, so? I took issue with attributing a poem to a piece of smurf human being and not the correct author.

Gore Vidal says that it's a common (but unknowing) misattribution

Robert B. · 2009-11-02 9:20 am

And I still take issue with it.

And that article drips with apologism.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2009-10-30 8:43 pm

A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#2 2009-10-30 9:33 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#3 2009-10-30 10:40 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#4 2009-10-30 10:43 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

matt wrote:

#5 2009-10-30 10:48 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

matt wrote:

#6 2009-10-30 10:50 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#7 2009-10-31 4:16 am

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

matt wrote:

#8 2009-10-31 7:47 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Daniel wrote:

matt wrote:

#9 2009-10-31 7:53 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Anonymous Delivers! wrote:

Daniel wrote:

matt wrote:

#10 2009-10-31 9:39 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Pariah wrote:

matt wrote:

#11 2009-10-31 11:25 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

matt wrote:

Pariah wrote:

matt wrote:

#12 2009-11-01 1:06 am

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#13 2009-11-01 9:08 am

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#14 2009-11-01 10:33 am

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#15 2009-11-01 12:14 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

MysticCow wrote:

#16 2009-11-01 2:19 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#17 2009-11-01 4:25 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

jerwin wrote:

#18 2009-11-01 4:28 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Robert B. wrote:

jerwin wrote:

#19 2009-11-01 5:01 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

#20 2009-11-01 5:49 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

jerwin wrote:

Robert B. wrote:

jerwin wrote:

#21 2009-11-01 6:21 pm

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Robert B. wrote:

jerwin wrote:

Robert B. wrote:

#22 2009-11-02 9:20 am

Re: A refreshing wind of justice - after a long stench of injustice

Board footer