"Kids for Cash" a riveting documentary about the 2008 “Kids for Cash” scandal, in which two Luzerne County, Pennsylvania judges accepted judicial kickbacks, for the incarceration of juveniles. “Kids for Cash” shocked a nation, and showed all the corruption which can occur within the court system. Two judges, President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan, were convicted of accepting money from Robert Mericle, builder of two private, for-profit youth centers for the detention of juveniles, in return for contracting with the detention centers Ciavarella imposed harsh and unreasonable punishments on juveniles brought before his stand to increase the population of the detention centers.
First and foremost, “Kids for Cash” portrayed the corruption that can exist within a imperfect court system. Mark Ciavarella’s court was one of an unethical man, a court where defendants rights and counsel were abolished and unnecessary sentences were carried out. Many of the …show more content…
Most would assume Mark Ciavarella as well as his “sidekick” Michael Conahan are the ones solely at fault. Though they played the biggest role in the “Kids for Cash” scandal, others contributed as well. The court can’t run solely on the shoulders of two men, other courthouse employees and prosecutors let the harsh punishments for ludacris crimes continue on for years. corruption played out throughout the courthouse and the responsibility lingers on all who knew and did nothing about what was happening . Blame can also be placed upon the parents of many of the juveniles, who waived all their legal rights in court, in return granting Ciavarella “free game.” Sentencing wasn’t the only thing that ultimately affected these juveniles lives. Being young and locked away as a prisoner, is frightening, no support, and sometimes years of nothingness essentially leads many of these individuals to miss out on life, and
First and foremost, “Kids for Cash” portrayed the corruption that can exist within a imperfect court system. Mark Ciavarella’s court was one of an unethical man, a court where defendants rights and counsel were abolished and unnecessary sentences were carried out. Many of the …show more content…
Most would assume Mark Ciavarella as well as his “sidekick” Michael Conahan are the ones solely at fault. Though they played the biggest role in the “Kids for Cash” scandal, others contributed as well. The court can’t run solely on the shoulders of two men, other courthouse employees and prosecutors let the harsh punishments for ludacris crimes continue on for years. corruption played out throughout the courthouse and the responsibility lingers on all who knew and did nothing about what was happening . Blame can also be placed upon the parents of many of the juveniles, who waived all their legal rights in court, in return granting Ciavarella “free game.” Sentencing wasn’t the only thing that ultimately affected these juveniles lives. Being young and locked away as a prisoner, is frightening, no support, and sometimes years of nothingness essentially leads many of these individuals to miss out on life, and