The Luzerne County Railroad
Written by John Plucenik   
Tuesday, 15 March 2011 16:52
     This book should be required reading for any prospective entrepreneur, business student, business owner, or anyone who ever walks into the Luzerne County Courthouse for anything other than a tour. The author reminds readers that the story is not about him. It is a story about a system of corruption that is commonplace here. The 2009 arrests by the FBI of Judges Michael Conahan, Mark Ciavarella, and most importantly, Michael Toole, prompted him to write The Luzerne County Railroad.
     If there was a “Business Hall of Fame” in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, there would probably be a bronze image of Larry Hohol in it. After all, he employed more than 500 people in Luzerne County and directly infused tens of millions of dollars into its economy.
     Hohol was honored by President Ronald Reagan and sent overseas to share his knowledge with foreign business and government leaders, and even the King of Spain.
     The former dirt-poor, small-town cop took his dream from his garage and built a multi-million dollar, multi-national empire in a matter of a few short years. Just as quickly, however, Hohol could be the poster-child for victims of corruption in the Courthouse. His quick rise from rags to riches, and back to rags, was meteoric.
     The early chapters describing his rise to success are a marvel. Those that follow, detailing his downfall, are downright tragic. Hohol sold his company and was building another when he was blindsided. The company he sold out to decided to stiff him and use the court system to do it. That company hired a local attorney who was a “lifelong”  best friend and former law partner of a certain Luzerne County judge. Hohol’s adversaries had deep pockets and drained him dry in legal expenses over a five-year period. This happened despite the fact that he already had a prior lawsuit by the same people who ruled in his favor, by a different judge, and upheld by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, covering the same allegations.
     Needless to say, he lost the second case. He also lost his house, his cars, his money and even his wife. Don’t expect to read a tired story written by a bitter victim seeking therapeutic closure.    
     You’ll be wrong. 
     While Hohol’s literary skills may be blue collar, the remarkable story of his fight for truth and justice bleeds through on every page.
     This book illustrates that many Luzerne County judges do not make decisions based on law, but rather on their own set of personal destinations. It details the complete lack of accountability judges enjoy and abuse regularly.
     Due process? Not in Luzerne County. Want to complain about a bad judge? Forget it. The powerful people that you complain to are just as crooked as the ones you are complaining about, and they will hurt you even more for speaking up. That environment exists to this day, according to Hohol. Pennsylvania’s Judicial Conduct Board is still, for the most part, made   up of politically appointed cronies. Hohol is not afraid to name names.
     The author clearly demonstrates how cowardly and unethical lawyers can operate, on both sides of the courtroom. Don’t expect your own lawyer to back you up against a dirty judge or a bad judicial decision. Why is it, do you think, nobody blew the whistle on Conahan and Ciavarella earlier? Local attorneys make a living facing these judges and are quick to throw a client under the bus to insure their future livelihood. This book is a fact-filled read that will leave you angry and wanting to sharpen your pitchfork. Despite his experience, Hohol still believes things can change.
     He is wise enough to know that to change the economic climate of this depressed area you must first change the culture of corruption that exists here.
     Only time will tell if this book makes a remote difference in changing the culture of corruption that exists to this day.
     Hohol, a 1974 Wyoming Valley West graduate, has started his second book spotlighting the many corrupt players that he researched since his move to Florida in 1999. The “Kids for Cash” scandal will be the focus of his next undertaking.
     Hohol is a true patriot, without even firing a shot in any battle, in any war.
     He is a First Amendment patriot.
     His weapon: The Pen.
     Sleep well, Larry.
     The dark clouds of Luzerne County corruption are miles away.
     Enjoy the warmth of Florida.
     And, please……. keep writing.