Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

23 Feb 2009 21:06

tags

U.S.: Juvenile court? More like kickback kourt

  • The case in question Former Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella presided over many juvenile cases – 5,000 in the last five years – and was strangely harsh with sentencing. In one example, he sentenced a kid to nine months at a juvenile detention center for stealing change out of unlocked cars. source
  • The case in question Former Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella presided over many juvenile cases – 5,000 in the last five years – and was strangely harsh with sentencing. In one example, he sentenced a kid to nine months at a juvenile detention center for stealing change out of unlocked cars.
  • Now that’s just sketchy Ciavarella had a pretty corrupt reason for the harsh sentencing – he and another judge sent more kids to juvenile detention facilities so that they could get kickbacks to the tune of $2.6 million. The two judges recently got sentenced to 87 months in prson for fraud. See, that’s what they deserve. source
  • The case in question Former Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella presided over many juvenile cases – 5,000 in the last five years – and was strangely harsh with sentencing. In one example, he sentenced a kid to nine months at a juvenile detention center for stealing change out of unlocked cars.
  • Now that’s just sketchy Ciavarella had a pretty corrupt reason for the harsh sentencing – he and another judge sent more kids to juvenile detention facilities so that they could get kickbacks to the tune of $2.6 million. The two judges recently got sentenced to 87 months in prson for fraud. See, that’s what they deserve.
  • Many lives ruined Ciavarella left a long trail of damage – of the children who faced him in court without counsel, 50% of them went to a juvenile detention center. “I was sort of shocked and taken aback,” she Hillary Transue, one of his victims. “I didn’t really understand what was going on.” source

23 Feb 2009 10:26

tags

U.S.: 11-year-old’s lawyer: Let him go to juvenille court instead of jail

  • I want him to be occupied and busy and back, essentially, in school. I wouldn’t say he’s in good spirits. He’s confused. He looks and acts like a typical 11-year-old.
  • Dennis Elisco • Attorney for Jordan Brown, the 11-year-old boy accused of killing his dad’s pregnant girlfriend, Kenzie Marie Houk. The prison didn’t have supplies to accommodate an 11-year-old; Brown is wearing far-too-large prison clothing, including pants cuffed up “about 10 times,” according to Elisco. • source

22 Feb 2009 23:02

tags

Biz, U.S.: Philadelphia Inquirer owner files for bankruptcy. Oof.

  • $390 million in debt, which they’re “restructuring” source

22 Feb 2009 10:41

tags

U.S.: An 11-year-old boy allegedly murdered his dad’s gf? Yikes!

  • This is something that you wouldn’t even think of in your worst nightmare, that you’d have to charge an 11-year-old with homicide. It’s heinous, the whole situation.
  • John Bongivengo • District Attorney of Lawrence County, Pa., on the boy, who allegedly killed his father’s pregnant 26-year-old girlfriend, Kenzie Marie Houk, on Friday. The unborn child also died. • source

02 Feb 2009 09:20

tags

U.S.: Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow on Groundhog Day?

  • YES. Six more weeks. We so wanna punch Ned. source

02 Feb 2009 08:23

tags

Offbeat: And, oh yeah, it’s Groundhog Day

Will Phil see his shadow? Will Bill Murray manage to get out of an infinite loop? Wait and find out! source