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Elk Lodge donates to LCCC Food Bank 16

Expert to Rio athletes: 'Don't put your head under water'

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Bob Kadluboski&#8217;s claims of a fix rang out against the hushed halls of the Luzerne County Courthouse Monday as the outspoken city tower was escorted out of a courtroom following an out-of-town judge&#8217;s ruling that a Christmas gift allegedly promised by a recently-elected magistrate was never put in writing.</p><p>Kadluboski filed suit in December against Magisterial District Judge Thomas F. Malloy on claims the judge and his longtime friend, Tim Evans, pledged to reward the City Wide Towing owner after he uncovered fraudulent signatures on campaign rival Jared Martin Kane&#8217;s nominating petition last year.</p><p>Kane appeared poised to claim the seat held for nearly three decades by his father, Martin Kane, until Kadluboski forwarded concerns about the younger Kane&#8217;s paperwork to District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis days before last year&#8217;s primary election.</p><p>Kane lost to Malloy by a landslide and was later sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty to forgery charges in May.</p><p>Kadluboski alleged the pair, delighted over the election&#8217;s outcome, offered to buy him a Christmas gift &#8212; a $1,500 bulletproof vest he wanted. The pair never followed through, he claimed, and when he asked for the cash instead, Evans offered him $500.</p><p>When he ended up with nothing, Kadluboski sued Malloy and Evans on claims that what they agreed to amounted to a verbal contract, he said.</p><p>&#8220;This is not a man of his word,&#8221; Kadluboski said during the hearing, pointing his finger at a seated Malloy.</p><p>Senior Magisterial District Judge Richard Cashman, of Northumberland County, dismissed the suit on grounds Kadluboski admitted there was no written agreement, an argument posed during the hearing by Pittston-based attorney William J. Watt III.</p><p>Watt objected multiple times to outbursts by Kadluboski, who alleged the defense and the judge were &#8220;trying to pull a fast one&#8221; on him by changing the date of the hearing.</p><p>Kadluboski, donning a faux sheriff&#8217;s badge on his shirt, said he believed the hearing was moved to Monday because he planned to be out of town and the case would be dismissed if he didn&#8217;t show up.</p><p>&#8220;When I came into this courtroom, I knew I was losing,&#8221; he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_malloy-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Malloy </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_malloy-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Malloy </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Kadluboski-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kadluboski </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Kadluboski-3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kadluboski </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Local tow truck driver loses lawsuit claiming judge promised bulletproof vest