Sorry is Just a Word

Unless you have been living under a rock the last few weeks, you have heard something about the scandal involving Luzerne County’s Judge Mark Ciavarella and Judge Michael Conahan. Although it is difficult for an average citizen to understand the legal ramifications behind the situation, from a moral and ethical standpoint, what the judges did was wrong. It is expected that the judges, like all public figures who do wrong, should apologize for their wrong doings. Here is the question? Are they sorry for what they did, or are they sorry because they got caught?

They obviously are smart men, well, at least educated men, achieving such high ranks in the judicial court. They obviously were well aware that what they were doing was wrong. Where was the guilt when they were taking kickbacks totaling around 2.4 million dollars? Although, undoubtedly the judges will offer the public some form of apology, whether or not the apology is heart felt is questionable. In my opinion, I don’t believe these judges are sorry for their wrong doings; they’re merely sorry they got caught.

If the judges are to apologize, it is important for them to directly acknowledge and apologize to the innocent teenagers and families that were affected by their greed. They must own up to the fact that they did these kids wrong and these kids will be affected by this for the rest of their lives. As long as the judges don’t use excuses, admit that they were wrong and serve the punishment they are sentenced, the citizens of Luzerne County may be more willing for forgive and forget.

Mareen Iskra
Wilkes University 10'
16 February 2009