The largest single portion of the $17.75 million settlement developer Robert K. Mericle agreed to on Dec. 16 will be reserved for juvenile victims who suffered physical or psychological harm as the result of being sent to detention centers by former Luzerne County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr.
Mericle, the builder of two juvenile detention facilities who allegedly paid millions in “finder’s fees” to Ciavarella and former Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Conahan, has agreed to settle his portion of a civil suit brought by a class of juvenile plaintiffs for $17.75 million, with the possibility of an additional $1.75 million.
