Back in 2009, I reported on what I called, “One of the worst cases I’ve read about.” I like putting humor in posts, but that post was just matter of fact. I had not read before of such horrendous corruption by a judge.
At the time, Judge Mark A. Ciavarella had pleaded guilty. However, sometime between then and now he changed his plea. He was tried on 39 counts (including filing a materially false tax return); last week he was found guilty of 12 of those 39 counts.
Interestingly, the US Attorney’s office focused on the financial crimes rather than the stories of juveniles who were, in some cases, wrongly put away. Yes, if you rob a bank you do need to report that income; Mr. Ciavarella appears to have forgotten about Al Capone.
In any event, a man who it appears deserves to head to federal prison will likely soon be doing so.