A former public defender in the Philadelphia suburbs has sued claiming he was fired for failing to encourage enough defendants to accept plea bargains.
The Delaware County Daily Times reports Joseph De Ritis wants $2 million in damages and his job back. He filed the lawsuit in federal court in Philadelphia.
De Ritis says he was hired as a public defender in Delaware County in 2005 and eventually became part of the office's criminal trial team in 2010. That's where De Ritis contends he incurred the wrath of a county judge who, the attorney claims, though De Ritis took too many clients to trial instead of having them plead guilty.
The attorney claims he was demoted to juvenile court then another unit, before he was passed over for promotions and eventually fired.
The county hasn't commented on the lawsuit.
