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 yesterday 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.

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