The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said yesterday that it would give a judge the discretion to overturn the cases of as many as 1,200 juveniles sentenced by a Luzerne County judge who admitted taking payments from detention centers to which he sentenced some of them.

Calling the unanimous order a first step toward restoring public confidence in the justice system, the court said it applies to first-time offenders convicted of minor crimes who appeared without counsel before Luzerne County Juvenile Court Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. between 2003 and 2008.

"Today's order is not intended to be a quick fix," Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille said in a statement. "It's going to take some time, but the Supreme Court is committed to righting whatever wrong was perpetrated on Luzerne's juveniles and their families."

In a report to the court filed March 13, Berks County Senior Judge Arthur E. Grim said his investigation uncovered "routine deprivation of children's constitutional rights to appear before an impartial tribunal and have an opportunity to be heard."