Attorneys ask to withdraw from federal suit over Cahokia water district firings

Attorneys Robert Sprague and Donald Urban have filed motions asking for leave to withdraw from representing several former employees of the Commonfields of Cahokia Water District in a federal suit over those employees' firings.

Sprague and Urban filed their motions to withdraw from the suit filed by Peggy Pierce, Issac Turner, Marcus Luster, and Dennis Traiteur Jr. June 7 and 8.

According to their motions, the plaintiffs' attorneys believe that the four plaintiffs have "similar but distinct causes of action" that require attorneys to represent each of them separately.

The plaintiffs are suing the water district and trustees Marilyn Stringfellow, Carolyn
Touchette, Mike Milatti, and Erma Milliard.

The plaintiffs contend that they were fired by the defendants after they worked for the
election campaigns of the defendants' opponents.

The suit was originally filed in St. Clair County and sought damages in excess of $150,000 and reinstatement to their positions.

Although the defendant filed to remove the suit to the United State District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in March 2010, the case file did not reflect the removal until earlier this year.

There was enough confusion about the case's status that St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert LeChien set the suit for an April status or dismissal hearing before the matter was cleared up.

A January 2011 settlement conference in the federal suit did not result in the resolution of the dispute.

Julie Bruch represents the defendants.

The federal case is case number 3:10-cv-00182-SCW. U.S. District Court Judge Stephen
Williams presides.