As the Burg' Turns

He'll go from elected coroner to appointed medical examiner, agreeing to step down if he is indicted in ongoing investigation.... Only in Pittsburgh!

The new face of row office reform is an old hand: Dr. Cyril H. Wecht.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato announced that Dr. Wecht, who served as coroner from 1970 to 1980 and again from 1996 to now, will become medical examiner when the elected row office of coroner is phased out Tuesday and transformed into an appointed position.

Mr. Onorato, however, termed Dr. Wecht's role as "interim," and said the appointment was predicated on Dr. Wecht's willingness to step down if an ongoing federal investigation results in an indictment or plea agreement.

In February, it was disclosed that District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. had opened an investigation into whether Dr. Wecht improperly mixed his private practice with public duties.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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