even a post-McDonnell understanding of ‘official act.’ If sentencing hundreds of juvenile offenders to excessive terms of incarceration is not an ‘official act,’ then nothing is." Pension fight Ciavarella, whose resignation from the bench took effect on March 16, 2009, submitted an application for pension benefits that same day, seeking to withdraw a lump sum of $232,051 that included $51,699 in interest and to begin receiving $5,156 in monthly pension benefits. However, Ciavarella agreed to a federal injunction freezing his pension benefits on or about May 27, 2009. The injunction was requested by the U.S. Attorney's office in order to apply the benefits to restitution to the victims. Subsequently, the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) denied pension benefits to Ciavarella, reversing its earlier position that he was eligible to receive benefits until he was sentenced. SERS ruled that the former judge's guilty pleas to fraud and conspiracy in February provided sufficient grounds to deny the benefits. The agency based its determination on the Pension Forfeiture Act, which allows for the denial of benefits to anyone convicted of certain crimes related to their public employment. SERS also refused to repay Ciavarella the $234,000 that he had contributed to the retirement system because the state Department of Public Welfare claimed that he and Conahan are liable for $4.3 million in alleged overpayments it made to two juvenile detention centers. References External links Luzerne County Judges, The Times-Leader, Wilkes-Barre daily newspaper article collection , Juvenile Law Center Documentary film about case - Kids for Cash 1950 births Living people Disbarred American lawyers Politicians from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Democrats People convicted of racketeering People convicted of honest services fraud King's College (Pennsylvania) alumni Duquesne University alumni Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes Pennsylvania lawyers 20th-century American judges 21st-century American judges 21st-century American criminals Judges convicted of crimes Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas