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<p>In a one-page order, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed a decision by a Luzerne County judge who ruled last year Nanticoke Police Chief Thomas Wall was hired erroneously.</p><p>Wall, a retired state trooper and lifelong resident of Nanticoke, was appointed in September 2016 to lead the city police department by then Mayor Richard Wiaterowski.</p><p>Shortly after Wall&#8217;s appointment, the City of Nanticoke Police Officers Association filed a lawsuit alleging the city violated state law, which requires a candidate for police chief must be chosen within the ranks of the police department. If a suitable candidate could not be found within the ranks, only then can an outsider be appointed.</p><p>The police union claimed this step was skipped despite Lt. Michael Roke expressing his interest in the position after it opened following the death of Chief William Shultz in August 2016.</p><p>Wall&#8217;s wife, Donna, was the interim city manager when Wiaterowski made the appointment.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge William Amesbury previously agreed with the police union, ruling Wall was hired illegally, and ordered the city to have a new chief by Oct. 1, 2018.</p><p>Wall remained police chief, however, as the city appealed Amesbury&#8217;s order to the Supreme Court.</p><p>Since the appeal, Wiaterowski died Dec. 9, 2018, after battling cancer.</p><p>Efforts to reach wall and current Mayor Nicole Colatosti-Mackiewicz were unsuccessful on Tuesday. </p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_wall_file.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tom Wall, left, surrounded by family members, is seen holding his badge after being sworn in as Nanticoke&#8217;s police chief in 2016.  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/web1_wall_file.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tom Wall, left, surrounded by family members, is seen holding his badge after being sworn in as Nanticoke&#8217;s police chief in 2016.  </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

State Supreme Court affirms Nanticoke police chief was hired illegally