Shapiro says Biden commutes Kids for Cash judge’s ruling ‘wrong’ • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Gov. Josh Shapiro said Friday that President Joe Biden “got it all wrong” when he commuted the sentence of a former Luzerne County judge convicted in “Kids for Cash” scandal.

Speaking at an unrelated press conference in Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton — in a building on Biden Street, no less — Shapiro said he disagreed with the decision. president made Thursday in commuting the verdict of Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 of sending children to prison in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks from a private prison.

“Governors and presidents have extraordinary power to grant pardons and pardons and commute sentences. It’s an absolute power, and it’s a power that should be used incredibly carefully,” Shapiro said. “I study every case that comes before me desk where there is a request for pardon or clemency and I take it very seriously. I weigh what happened in the trial. I think about the public safety and the victims and all these issues enter into my decision.”

“I recognize that outsiders may question these decisions, as you are here today asking me a question about the clemency that President Biden has granted,” Shapiro added. “So I’m going to offer these thoughts as an outsider, not with all the information that he looked at, but I feel strongly that President Biden got it all wrong and created a lot of pain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

On Thursday, Biden announced that he was commuting the sentences of about 1,500 people placed into home care during the coronavirus pandemic, and granted pardons to 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes.

“As president, I have the great privilege of granting clemency to people who have shown remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunities for Americans to participate in daily life and contributing to their communities, and taking steps to eliminate sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders offenders, especially those convicted of drug crimes,” Biden said Thursday.

Biden commutes the sentences of nearly 1,500 people, pardons 39 in historic clemency

Shapiro called the “Kids for Cash” scandal not only a “black eye on society,” but said it affected families in “really deep and profound and sad ways.”

“Some children took their lives from this. Families were torn apart, Shapiro said of the scandal. “There were all kinds of psychological problems and anxiety that came as a result of these corrupt judges deciding they wanted to make money off the back of a child.”

Sandy Fonzo, whose son died by suicide after being placed in juvenile detention, said in a statement Thursday that the commute was “deeply painful,” adding “this pardon feels like an injustice to all of us who are still suffering.”

State Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) called the commutation “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” in a statement late Thursday. “Where does destroying the lives of vulnerable children to enrich oneself justify a presidential commute?”

Shapiro added Friday that he thought the 17-year sentence for Conahan was “too light.”

“The fact that he’s been allowed out over the last few years because of COVID, was under house arrest and now has been granted clemency, I think is completely wrong,” Shapiro said. “He should have been in prison for at least the 17 years he was sentenced by a jury of his peers. He deserves to be behind bars and not walk a free man.”