Months of news reports, legal wrangling and efforts by the Judicial Conduct Board to keep its role in and knowledge of the Luzerne County scandal under tight wraps lead us to conclude that — at a minimum — when it came to Luzerne County, the board had its priorities out of whack.
The board’s most recent testimony before the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice makes clear that the board’s single-minded focus on prosecuting former Luzerne County Judge Ann Lokuta diverted attention and effort from allegations related to former Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciaverella. This was a tragic mistake with grave consequences.
