By Brian Conway, Pittsburgh Independent

As County Council meets behind closed doors today to discuss a potential settlement in their lawsuit against the executive branch over the issuance of a $73 million no-bid juvenile detention contract, yet-unpublished documents obtained by open records request by the Pittsburgh Independent shine light on behind-the-scenes efforts by the judiciary to reopen the facility and facilitate a private operator for Shuman Juvenile Detention Center.

Last September, council voted to sue the county executive and courts over the juvenile detention contract. Adelphoi countersued county council in May.

The Latrobe-based nonprofit reopened 12 beds at Shuman on July 2, 2024, after an initial round of taxpayer-funded renovations. One week later, Allegheny County Council voted overwhelmingly to reject all of Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s juvenile advisory board nominations.

Four separate county sources told the Pittsburgh Independent that negotiations between the executive branch and county council to settle council’s lawsuit have been ongoing, and that the Washington County senior judge overseeing the case, Katherine B. Emery, has urged council and the executive branch to reach a settlement.

For more of the story, which was partially funded by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership, visit the Pittsburgh Independent website at https://www.pghindependent.com/post/as-allegheny-county-council-meets-to-discuss-potential-shuman-settlement-documents-reveal-president-judge-pitched-harrisburg-on-no-bid-private-juvenile-detention-contract

(Brittany Hailer contributed to this story.)