"[Robert K. Mericle] and Mericle Construction believe this settlement is a positive step forward for this community," Mericle attorney Eric Kraeutler told [A. Richard Caputo].

After setting aside $4.35 million for attorney's fees and $1.2 million to settle any appeals of settlement amounts by individual plaintiffs, the agreement would pay $5,000 to each of 763 plaintiffs who were incarcerated in the Mericle-built centers. Those plaintiffs would also be eligible for additional payments based on several factors, including their age at the time of incarceration, the length of their stay at one of the centers and the severity of the charges against them.

A former co-owner of the companies, Robert J. Powell, admitted to paying $770,000 to former Luzerne County judge Michael T. Conahan, [Mark A. Ciavarella Jr.]'s onetime co-defendant, who is serving 17 1/2 years in prison. Powell, who testified for the prosecution in Ciavarella's trial, is serving an 18-month prison sentence.