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Judge hopeful says he brings 18 years of legal expertise to bench, has handled civil and criminal cases.
Vito DeLuca is a candidate for Luzerne County judge.
Clark Van Orden/The Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE – Vito DeLuca says he has been fighting corruption as the county’s solicitor for two years.
He has had to do investigating, turn in friends to law enforcement and help restore the public’s trust in Luzerne County, he told The Times Leader’s endorsement board.
Now, the 42-year-old says he wants to restore trust in the county’s judiciary by running for judge of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
“I believe I can do similar things on the bench,” he said.
He knew things were wrong in the courthouse, he said, when he saw known Federal Bureau of Investigations agents in the building, but that he didn’t expect the magnitude of indictments of several officials, for what he called a “complete disregard of the rules.”
DeLuca said he ran for district attorney in 2007, and then applied for the solicitor position, and has since “rewrote the book” on what the county solicitor does.
Now, he says, he would like to bring his county expertise to the bench, and move forward, away from the “curtain of corruption.”
If elected, DeLuca said he would like the courts to review how they award contracts, and institute a bidding process.
DeLuca also said he favors Central Court, but that it should be run differently and more efficiently.
The father of three said he brings 18 years of legal expertise to the bench and has handled a vast amount of civil and criminal cases.
He worked as a county public defender, in his own private practice, and has held several solicitorships over the years. DeLuca said he has handled cases at the state and federal level.
“I was never afraid to try anything,” he said. “And, my opinion is never for sale.”
For the May primary, DeLuca said he expects to spend between $30,000 and $50,000 and is taking campaign contributions from anyone.
He also spoke of his involvement in the home rule charter debacle, and said his participation was “a personal choice.”
“I felt the charter didn’t solve the county’s problems,” DeLuca said. “I felt I was part of something good.”
DeLuca spoke out publicly throughout the drafting of the home rule charter, that takes effect in 2012, voicing his displeasure with the charter and problems with it.
“I knew it could affect me politically,” he said. “But, I felt (we were) doing a good job with moving the county forward (with the government currently being used).”
About Vito DeLuca
Age: 43
Education: King’s College, degree in accounting and minor in economics; University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Law experience: Law clerk to former county judge and current state Superior Court President Judge Correale Stevens; law clerk for retired county Judge Gifford Cappellini
Community affiliations: Involved in youth sports and has coached soccer, basketball and baseball
Family: Wife, Maria; sons, Dominic, Anthony and Nico.