Luzerne County Judges Thomas Burke and Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. are up for retention to the Court of Common Pleas this year and they are feeling the heat of the fallout of the Juvie Brothers scandal that may result in them losing the yes/no vote. That has never happened to a sitting judge in this county in my memory.
A few days ago I asked how does everybody know what was going on in Lokuta's courtroom but nobody knew what was going on in Ciavarella's?
His response is in the CV today:
Not only were the vast majority of Judge Ciavarella's juvenile court proceedings closed to the public, they were conducted at Penn Place, located approximately ½ mile away from my courtroom in the Luzerne County Courthouse. Furthermore, during my 10 years on the bench, not a single parent, prosecutor, police officer, probation official or judge ever complained to me that Judge Ciavarella routinely denied juveniles their right to counsel. Nor did I know that he accepted "finder's fees" or sentenced juveniles illegally.
PPO-2 has been beat up in the local press and talk radio the last few days over that frat boy picture with Conahan and Ron Bellitiere that was anonymously provided to the local papers. Fair or not a picture is worth a thousand words.
Knowing that he is in trouble Olszewski is now in full campaign mode with a website up and filed a finance report with the PA Department of State indicating that he is raising money.
The website is:
The hompage lists 10 reasons to vote yes including a bunch of awards that he won and winning death penalty convictions when he was District Attorney that more than likely will never be carried out. Overall I think that PPO-2 was a pretty good DA especially when you compare his record to his incompetent successor.
There is not much on the campaign finance report yet and it includes a couple of errors such as listing his party as Republican and listing the office he is seeking as being in the 14th Judicial District (Fayette County).
I have always resisted the guilt by association argument. Heaven knows I've had my picture taken with some unsavory characters over the years. How much this hurts his chances remains to be seen. I always vote no on these questions no matter what is going on but I'm just a contrarian bastard.
I for one will dance when PPO is gone. He was on a weekend of decadence and like everything bad, it comes back to haunt you, even if it takes years, it comes back.
ReplyDeleteIs it too soon to call him former judge. And what is the scoop on thr other guy in the photo. Will anyone look at him and his case results in front of the disgraced C bros?
ReplyDeleteIsnt it time for somebody to fall almost two weeks
ReplyDeletePeter Paul lost my vote when he voted for himself for President Judge. He showed no respect for Chester Muroski's life time of public service but did show his own selfish motivation for publicity. The man has no shame and no business on the Bench. Out with Peter Paul.
ReplyDeleteGort, you Commie, why must you continue to assassinate the character of this young jurist, Mr. Olszewski??? He has more class in his pinky finger than you do in your entire Chairman Mao worshiping body!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you and your pinko comrades will try to destroy his career but I know for a fact that all the real AMericans will come out in droves on election day and vote to retain this young fine man on the bench!!!
God Bless him, and our Sainted Senator Rick Santorum.
Go to Hell!!!
That's not class in his pinky, that's ego. Imagine PPO being so self centered that he voted for himself for President Judge even though every other Judge was going to show some respect to Chester Muroski and allow him to retire at the end of the year with the honor of having served as President Judge. Shame on PPO, his ego lost my vote and I don't care what you call me a long as we all stop calling PPO judge.
ReplyDeleteI was just invited to an event in Pittston for PPO and Judge Burke. Why would Judge Burke go on the campaign trail with PPO? I enjoy water sports and really enjoy swiming but I would never consider swiming with an anchor. Will somebody please let Judge Burke know that he would be better off with the flu than with PPO.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:39 said Burke would be better of with the flu than with PPO. Now that's funny and it would be a lot funnier if it were not true. PPO was a DA when much of this was happening and didn't have a clue? Well, if he didn't have a clue back then and he didn't have a clue that Conahan was an un indicted coconspirator in a drug case then I have to surmise that PO still has no clue and therefore does not belong on the Bench. I absolutely will not vote to retain PPO.
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