Isn't This Called "Double Jeopardy, Jackie Musto-Carroll?" Once Again Luzerne County is Trying to Take Away Our Children's Rights and The DA is Trying to Help Do it!

 The actual definition of "Double Jeopardy" according to "word.netweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn is  "the prosecution of a defendant for a criminal offense for which he/she has already been tried...prohibited in the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution."  Writing about this  will probably get me in a lot of trouble, but since I am a staunch child advocate who became so, as a result of ex-Judge Mark Ciavarella of Luzerne County, Pa., sentencing my daughter who was raped at 15 yrs. old by a 26 yrs. old man, this is nothing new for me. For 3 terrible years, I fought to get my child out of his corrupt system.......even going so far as to contact the Times Leader and the Citizen's Voice (our local newspapers), contacting Senators, Children and Youth Departments and many more places, including 20/20 and other news sources. I could tell you horror stories of what happened to her, but it would detract from this blog. The main aim of this blog is to inform and rally support for the "unimportant" children of Luzerne County who are once again being the object of elected officials who are probably trying to protect someone else, and not these kids. The illustrious DA of Luzerne County, (who I did vote for, by the way......big mistake!) now wants to take away further rights of these children, by demanding that Arthur Grimm ( the wonderful judge who has been looking into all these cases and looking out for all of our children) think about retrying all these "juvenile deliquents". In the "Adult" world, isn't that called "Double Jeopardy"? Isn't it bad enough when a rape victim gets sentenced to Vision Quest instead of getting the counseling she needs? And while she is locked away, she is willing to testify  and does so against her rapist? Inspite of everything my daughter made sure he was locked away for raping her, so he cannot hurt anyone else for a long time. Yes, she went to school drunk a month later and that is what got her locked up first in Pa Child Care where she sat for almost 3 weeks, until she was remanded back there to await Judge Ciavarella's decision.  My husband and I snuck in his office the morning of her hearing and informed him what had happened to her only a month before this incident. Do you know what he replied to us? "It doesn't matter, she must be punished for what she did. And do not bring it up in my court room." Nice thing to say to the parents of a rape victim, huh?!  First we were told she didn't need an attorney for this hearing, and being on SSD, not having a lot of money, we trustingly believed them. Then when the paper came (the one that signed her legal rights away which we were unaware of) for us to sign, we thought it was just to say we didn't have an attorney with us ( because this is what we were told it said). We had no idea we had just signed her rights away. So now, that we have an emotionally unbalanced adult child, who cannot even think clearly for herself and yet is trying, and  we are forced to deal with a DA who wants to retry these juveniles and now adult children again. Are you crazy lady? Hasn't my family suffered enough emotional harm and hasn't my family has been fighting for years the damage that  ex-Judge Mark Ciavarella's sentencing did to my daughter (when she should have gotten counseling for the rape).   Isn't that enough damage for you? And now Jackie Musto-Carroll wants to further damage these children by having them thrown to the wolves once again and having even more civil rights taken away from them. Sounds like the FBI should be looking into the DA's office to see if they are covering up or hiding something too! Too many places, offices, and more in Luzerne County have been tainted with the corruption from the 2 Corrupt Judges of Luzerne County, and I am beginning to wonder if the DA's office isn't one of them. How dare the DA try to strip the very last little vestige of pride these children still have left by demanding they be retried again. Have you no compassion at all Ms. DA? My daughter is already emotionally unstable, suffering from all kinds of mental disabilities, and now she has a physical disability which is an indirect cause of her incarcerations. You do not lock up a rape victim, you get her counseling. You do not have her testify against her rapist while she is locked up for having been raped. I have to thank both the Times Leader and the Citizen's Voice for all the time and energy that went into the papers protecting these children's rights and for the articles done on my daughter, trying to first get her out of lock up and then just telling her story.  And while I have never met him personally, but I would also like to thank Andy Mehalshick  and his wonderful news team for keeping up with what has been happening with the ex-judges and keeping us all abreast of what is going on. I just hope with all my heart that they will also stay on the band wagon, inspite of the DA and fight her trying to get these kids retried, to save the county a little money. Remember, if they were adults, this probably wouldn't have even been considered, since it is called "Double Jeopardy!"  Personally, I think, that retrying these kids will end up costing the county 10-20 times more that not retrying them. Haven't these kids suffered enough? Yes, there are some bad kids that did deserve what they got, but what about the ones like my daughter who far outnumber the bad ones. She doesn't deserve to be retried. Hey! 20/20 and 48 Hours......where are you now? Remember......the Judges did this and now Luzerne County's DA is trying to finish it! The next clown that runs for the DA's office will get my vote as long as they are running against Jackie Musto-Carroll! I am ashamed to say that I helped put her in office if she is going to help keep ruining the children of our County. They need a second chance and a helping hand, not to be railroaded again, so that the county can collect more money off of them!!!!!!