Scum

I really do try to take a reasonable look at things around me. I honestly do. I try not to jump to conclusions, especially when I write something, as written words (no matter how infrequently they are read) have a certain permanency to them that verbal communication simply doesn't.

All the above noted, it was reported yesterday that two Luzerne County judges have plead guilty to participating in a $2.7 million dollar kickback scheme.

Story Here

One word comes to mind when you really start to think about this situation: Scum.

Now fudging tax records is bad, as is concealing ill-gained income, but those things don't get me fighting mad. What does? The notion that these judges sentenced juvenile offenders a to a facility where they financial benefit, regardless of whether or not that was the right thing for the offender, is truly the heinous part of this story. I know, I know, we are talking about young men and women who committed a crime, so they are not really "innocent". That's not the point though. We are not always talking about hard-core criminals; some of the children involved probably just made a one-time mistake. Who knows what damage was really caused. As noted in the story, there were instances where juvenile justice officials recommended that an offender NOT receive jail time, but yet that judgment was over-ruled by these judges for nothing more than dirty money.

Therein lies the bottom line: (Former) Judges Ciavarella and Conahan harmed children for money. No amount of jail time is enough for these scumbags.