Luzerne County manager terminates chief public defender

Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo has terminated Steven Greenwald from his position as county chief public defender, according to an email she sent to county council members Wednesday morning.

Crocamo did not state any reasons in the email due to personnel confidentiality. She told council she will be notifying the county Court of Common Pleas “to help effectuate a smooth transition” within the public defender’s office.

She has appointed Attorney Joseph Yeager as interim chief public defender and asked the human resources department to post the now-vacant position as soon as possible, the email said.

Yeager has worked as an assistant public defender for more than 40 years.

The chief public defender is among eight top county division head positions that require council confirmation for the manager-recommended appointments to take effect.

Greenwald declined comment at this time.

Crocamo released this statement to the media:

“The county policy is not to comment on personnel matters; however, Attorney Greenwald is no longer employed at the county. Attorney Joseph Yeager has been appointed Acting Chief Public Defender to ensure continuity and smooth transition in the office. The permanent position will be posted as soon as possible.”

The office must defend low-income clients who request representation for misdemeanor or felony charges.

Greenwald received $102,628 annually as chief public defender. The chief public defender cannot have an outside legal practice.

Council had confirmed his appointment to the division head position in April 2013. At that time, then-county manager Robert Lawton said Greenwald had worked as an assistant public defender since 1994, handling a wide range of felony and misdemeanor cases. Greenwald also had handled criminal and civil litigation in private practice from 1985 until becoming chief public defender.

For more than a year, assistant public defender vacancies have been highlighted as a concern.

Last month, Greenwald told council he had eight vacancies and has been reaching out to law schools nationally instead of focusing only on those in Pennsylvania.

“I’m being very aggressive in recruiting,” Greenwald had informed council.

The shortages, at times, may cause delays in court cases being adjudicated, officials said.

Council had approved a collective bargaining agreement in February that significantly increased the starting salary for unionized assistant district attorneys and public defenders — a change pushed to help with recruitment and retention.

Under the contract, the entry salary rose from $51,083 to $60,500 for full-time assistant district attorneys/public defenders and from $34,165 to $39,885 for part-timers.