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The Times Leader timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE, PA
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
Former member of Luzerne County bench pleaded guilty to corrupt receiving of reward from lawyer in arbitration
BUDGET WOES
Ex-judge’s new chambers: A cell Toole gets 30 months in prison By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER tmorgan@timesleader.com
SCRANTON – Decrying Michael Toole for bringing disrepute to the judiciary, a federal judge on Friday sentenced the former Luzerne County judge to 2 ½ years in prison for his guilty plea to corruption and tax-relatFirst ed charges. reported The sentence, 9:42 which also ina.m. cluded a $5,000 timesleader fine, was in the .com middle of federal sentencing guidelines, which called for Toole to serve between 27 to 33 months in prison. In deciding the sentence, U.S. District Judge Richard P. Conaboy acknowledged Toole was a respected member of the community prior to his arrest, but said those accomplishments must be balanced against the seriousness of his crime. “It’s a sad day for you, but an even sadder day for the citizens BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER of Luzerne County,” Conaboy said moments before he imposed Former Luzerne County Judge Michael Toole arrives at the federal courthouse in Scranton on Friday for sentencing. In addition to the sentence. “I can’t think of a jail time, Toole must pay a $5,000 fine. Below, spectators leave the courthouse. more horrible offense than selling your service as a judge.” Toole, the son of retired Luzerne County Judge Patrick Toole, acknowledged as much in an approximately five-minute address to the court in which he By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES accordance with procedures set repeatedly derided himself for jandes@timesleader.com forth in our court personnel the shame and humiliation he manual,” President Judge ThoLuzerne County’s court brought to himself, his family, mas Burke said Friday. “These system will internally review the county and the judiciary. procedures generally involve whether any county policies “I can’t possibly explain how extremely sorry I am for my conconfidentiality.” were violated by eight court duct. My actions, your honor, One of the employees, court employees who wrote letters were not just wrong, they were a reporter Anita Calzola, apseeking leniency for former serious violation of the public’s county Judge Michael Toole in peared to use a court lettertrust,” Toole said. head in her letter to the senhis sentencing on corruption Several of the more than dozen tencing judge. related charges, the county’s family members and friends who County policy prohibits the president judge said Friday. accompanied Toole dabbed tears “What’s been raised here are improper use of county properfrom their eyes as Toole, his personnel matters that will be
Courts will review policy violations on Toole letters
thoroughly investigated in
See TOOLE, Page 14A
DA will file an injunction to ban retail sales of bath salts A bill that would ban the sale and possession of bath salts is in the state Senate.
By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
NANTICOKE – Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll pledged to file an injunction early next week that would seek a sales ban on bath salts by retailers. Musto Carroll made the announcement after she hosted an hourlong conference with police chiefs and officers about the dangers of the synthetic substance at the Public Safety Conference Center at Luzerne County Community College on Friday. Retailers that sell bath salts were invited to the conference,
N AT I O N A L AT T E N T I O N The bath salt problem in Northeastern Pennsylvania is attracting national attention. A film crew from NBC’s news show, “Dateline” interviewed Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll for a future program on issue. On Thursday the crew was in Lackawanna County, which already has an injunction banning the sale of bath salts by retailers.
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but none showed up. “We know about 10 stores that still openly sell these bath salts,” Musto Carroll said, noting it remains unknown how many stores are selling bath salts from behind the counter. The injunction is being filed under the state’s public nuisance law, Musto Carroll said. “Right now, our hands are tied until this stuff is banned,” See BATH SALTS, Page 14A
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09815 10011
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See POLICY, Page 14A
Shutdown averted at last minute
Agreement reached to cut spending to prevent closure of government. By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON — Perilously close to a government shutdown, congressional leaders reached agreement with the White House late Friday night on a deal to cut tens of billions of dollars in federal spending and avert the closure. House Speaker John Boehner informed the GOP rank and file of the accord, reached in grueling negotiations over several weeks, an official said. “We have an agreement,” concurred a spokesman for “AmerSenate Majority icans of Leader Harry Reid, Jon Sum- different mers. beliefs In addressing the nation on came tolive TV, Obama gether for said that “Americans of differ- the deal ent beliefs came averting a together for the deal averting a shutdown.’’ shutdown.’’ President Obama hailed Barack Obama the deal as “the biggest annual spending cut in history,” and House Speaker John Boehner said that over the next decade it would cut government spending by $500 billion. “This is historic, what we’ve done,” said the third man in the talks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, said that, "I will vote for this deal. It funds the government through the end of the fiscal year and cuts billions of dollars in wasteful Washington spending." See SHUTDOWN, Page 7A
Gelb seeks even playing field in county By SHEENA DELAZIO sdelazio@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – As a 7year-old watching the presidential election between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey, the young Lesa Gelb knew she wanted to be a lawyer. The 50-year-old mother of two, who has been a lawyer for more than 20 years, now wants to serve the residents of Luzerne County as a Court of Common Pleas judge. “It’s the right thing for me to do…to serve the public,” Gelb told The Times Leader’s endorsement board. “It’s the next step.” Gelb said she decided last year to run for one of six open seats on the bench, and in 2008, submitted her name to the governor as a possible candidate to fill a vacant seat left by disgraced former Judge Michael Conahan. Gelb said she wants to be a
LESA GELB
Age: 50 Education: Graduate of Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts in government and history; Boston University School of Law, juris doctor Law experience: Has participated in jury trials and other court proceedings at the state and federal level; was part of a team that coordinated and planned class action for juveniles affected by corruption in Luzerne County juvenile court Community affiliations: Chair of the Maternal and Family Health Services; former board member of the Luzerne County Commission for Women and the Association for Retarded Citizens; on the board of directors and executive committee for Temple Israel; among others Family: Husband, attorney Barry Dyller; sons, Nathan and Benjamin
CLARK VAN ORDEN/THE TIMES LEADER
Lese Gelb is a candidate for Judge Luzerne County.
probe is not the reason she’s running for judge, but that it does motivate her to make the part of making sure there’s an county a better place. Gelb said she has experience even playing field within the in civil cases and criminal work, Luzerne County Courthouse. “That’s something the people and runs her own practice in of Luzerne County haven’t felt,” Gelb said, noting the corruption See GELB, Page 14A