Litigation filed against Luzerne County over a recent dispute centered on the district attorneyâs office will be withdrawn, District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce announced Thursday.
The issues that sparked the litigation have been resolved, Sanguedolce said in an open letter to county residents and county council.
However, the crux of the controversy â conflicts between the county charter and state law â remains unresolved, Sanguedolce said.
Former District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Sanguedolce, then the first assistant district attorney, filed a petition in county court on March 19, 10 days after council declared the district attorneyâs seat vacant when Salavantis filed a nominating petition to run for county judge this year.
A legal challenge in Lackawanna County more than 20 years ago might have set a precedent for how Luzerne Countyâs next district attorney will be appointed.
How to appoint the next district attorney is one of two questions that remain unresolved since longtime District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis announced she would run for a seat on the county court of common pleas in the May 18 primary.
Salavantis said she would resign as district attorney once she is certified as a candidate for judge, which she said will likely happen around March 24.
However, county council declared the position of district attorney vacant on March 9, since the county charter states a district attorney must resign if he or she files a nominating petition for another office.
The state House next week is poised to consider legislation that could determine how Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis is replaced if she follows through with plans to resign or if the county councilâs vote to oust her is upheld.
It depends when and if Salavantis no longer holds the office and when and if the bill is signed into law.
A series of bills, already passed by a bipartisan vote in the state Senate, would streamline the process of filling vacancies by mandating the first assistant takes over whenever a vacancy occurs in the district attorneyâs office.
There appeared to be no major developments Thursday in the controversy over whether the Luzerne County district attorneyâs position is vacant.
County council declared the position vacant on Tuesday after longtime District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis filed to run for a seat on the county court of common pleas in the May 18 primary.
The county charter stipulates that a district attorney must resign if he or she files a nominating petition for another office. Salavantis said she will resign once she is certified as a candidate for judge, later this month.
Late Tuesday night, Salavantis said councilâs action forced her to seek legal counsel for her office. The same night, council Chairman Tim McGinley said he expected the dispute would lead to litigation.
Luzerne County Council’s decision to declare the office of county district attorney vacant led to chaotic maneuvering Wednesday, with the district attorney’s office sending seemingly contradictory memos to local police