Last Friday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a federal jury verdict awarding $94,232 to former Ass't NorCo Solicitor Jill Mancini. That jury concluded that she was fired by incoming Executive John Brown and Solicitor Vic Scomillio without due process of law. In addition, the Court affirmed an order awarding Allentown Attorney Pat Reilly, who represented Mancini, $186,018.60 in attorney’s fees and costs.
Exactly how much money is the county out-of pocket? Will Brown appeal? Will Reilly seek additional attorney fees? Will Mancini attempt to seek re-instatement?
At Northampton County's September 15 meeting, both Ken Kraft and Hayden Phillips requested Controller Steve Barron to run up a tab. "This Scomillio debacle has cost the County and who's paying for it or should be paying for it?" asked Kraft.
Though Barron agreed to research the matter, Executive John Brown promised Council he would report on exactly how much the Mancini lawsuit has cost the County.
The County is covered by insurance with PCoRP, and has a $50,000 deductible. Brown indicated he is meeting with their attorneys next week.
"When that position was created, I voted against it, and I sit here vindicated," said Council President John Cusick.
Except he doesn't.
The full-time Assistant Solicitor position was created by resolution dated December 7, 2006. All members of Council voted for it, including Cusick. At Council's January 18, 2007 meeting, the resolution authorizing a full-time assistant solicitor had to be voted on a second time because of a mistake in the first resolution. Once again, all members of Council supported it, including Cusick.
Given that he voted to create the position twice, it's a bit odd that Cusick would claim he is "vindicated."
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Friday, September 16, 2016
5 comments:
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longenbach should be on the hook for it
ReplyDeleteBrown and scamilliio should pay every cent back to Norco for this. Carl didn't fire her via cell phone on Christmas Eve this administration did
ReplyDeleteThe slimeball County Executive + the very useless County Council= no good government.
ReplyDeleteCusick and crowd illustrate how out of reality they are! Congratulations NORCO GOVERNMENT, once again you have proven the electorate illiterate.
You are finally learning what a slime ball Cusick really is. He will lie out of his teeth just to make himself look good and this is just another example.
ReplyDeleteCusick bloviates regularly from his chair as leader of Council, and toots his own horn about the past. It's too bad he rewrites history in the process. His emphatic proclamations at virtually every council meeting have shown in only a handful of months that his priority appears to be himself, not the citizens of Northampton County.
ReplyDelete