Public Defender May Be Fired for Hiring Lawyer
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The county’s public defender remained on paid leave Tuesday for hiring a lawyer with a criminal background.
The Board of Supervisors is weighing whether to fire John E. Roth for hiring an attorney who was convicted last year of paying inmates to solicit business for him inside county jails.
County leaders say they hope their decision to place Roth on leave will help assure the public that corrupt practices of the past are over. In the 1990s, several high-ranking San Bernardino County officials pleaded guilty to participating in bribery and kickback schemes.
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