WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Two ex-judges from eastern Pennsylvania want to be dismissed as defendants in a series of civil lawsuits filed in the wake of a juvenile justice scandal.
Former Luzerne County judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan already face criminal charges of taking $2.8 million in kickbacks to place juvenile defendants in private youth detention centers.
Now, they're seeking judicial immunity from civil lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of youths they sentenced.
A federal judge in Wilkes-Barre heard arguments on Wednesday but did not immediately issue a decision.
Immunity is designed to give judges freedom to rule without fear of legal retribution.
But plaintiffs' attorneys say the judges' conduct went beyond the scope of normal court business.
