Salavantis to file for court injunction in DA vacancy dispute

Eric Mark, The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 19—The dispute over whether Luzerne County Council acted legally when it declared a vacancy in the office of district attorney last week — after longtime District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis filed to run for county judge — will reach county court Friday morning.

Attorney Lawrence J. Moran Sr. notified county chief solicitor Romilda Crocamo on Thursday evening that he will file a petition in county motions court, seeking an injunction to stop the county from enforcing the vacancy that council declared on March 9.

Moran's email states that his firm represents "District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, First Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and the Office of the District Attorney of Luzerne County."

The petition will ask the court to enjoin the county from enforcing council's resolution declaring the office of district attorney vacant.

"We believe the action by the county in this regard is unlawful, unconstitutional and severely impairs the proper administration of the system of criminal justice in Luzerne County," Moran wrote.

Crocamo said she will appear on behalf of the county before Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr. at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

The dispute centers on whether council had the legal authority to declare the district attorney position vacant.

The county charter states that a district attorney must resign if he or she files a nominating petition to run for another office.

Salavantis said she will resign when she is officially certified as a candidate for judge, which will likely happen by March 25.

When she announced she would run for county judge, Salavantis said she would resign as district attorney even though it was not clear that state law required her to resign.

In a statement issued an hour after council declared her position vacant, Salavantis said council's action left her "no choice but to defend the authority of state law against the encroaching charter."

She said she would seek legal counsel "to represent the office on the legality of council's attempt at controlling the seat mere weeks before I agreed to relinquish the position."

For more than a week, observers of county government waited for Salavantis or her attorneys to file legal action.

Salavantis and Sanguedolce have both signed some legal documents since the vacancy declaration, in light of the uncertainty over Salavantis's legal standing as district attorney.

Contact the writer:

emark@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2117

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