Powell Law Firm Dropped as Defendant in Kids-for-Cash Case
The law firm of Robert J. Powell has been dropped as a defendant in a federal tort claim brought over the so-called kids-for-cash case involving $770,000 in kickbacks admittedly paid by Powell to two former judges in Luzerne County, Pa.
In exchange, the two judges, Mark Ciavarella Jr. and Michael Conahan, allegedly jailed juveniles in a detention facility in which Powell then had an ownership interest. They and Powell, whose license to practice law has been suspended, continue to be individual defendants in the civil suit, reports the Citizens’ Voice.
Meanwhile, Powell has pleaded guilty in a related federal criminal case and Ciavarella and Conahan face federal racketeering charges.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Admits Helping Pa. Judges Hide Income”
ABAJournal.com: “2 Pa. Judges, 2 Lawyers and Others Sued in $2.6M Jail-for-Pay Case”
ABAJournal.com: “Top Pa. Court Vacates 6,000+ Juvenile Rulings By Ex-Luzerne County Judge”
ABAJournal.com: “Top Pa. Court Axes $3.5M Libel Verdict Due to ‘Judicial Impropriety’”
Citizens’ Voice: “Ciavarella’s court ran ‘amok,’ judge testifies”
Citizens’ Voice: “Powell companies face deadline to secure new counsel”
