The lawyer provided by the city’s insurance carrier to defend Derby against ex-finance director Henry Domurad Jr.‘s lawsuit is officially off the case.
Judge Maureen Keegen granted attorney David Monastersky’s application to withdraw from the case June 26.
As first reported by the Valley Indy earlier this month, Monastersky asked to be taken off the case June 12, after the Derby Board of Aldermen twice rejected a settlement offer Monastersky helped to negotiate with John Gesmonde, the lawyer representing Domurad.
Domurad claims he was wrongfully terminated by Mayor Anthony Staffieri in April. Staffieri claims Domuard resigned. Domurad has questioned the authenticity of a resignation letter provided to the Valley Indy by the mayor’s office.
A show cause hearing in the civil lawsuit is scheduled for July 3 at 9:30 a.m. in Superior Court in Milford. It is the third time the hearing has been scheduled. The first hearing was scrapped after the city and Domurad drafted an out-of-court settlement that would have paid Domurad $53,000.
The second hearing was simply pushed to a later date to allow the attorneys more time to draft legal briefs on the case.
Staffieri is now solely represented by Derby Corporation Counsel Joseph Coppola.
Monastersky’s withdrawal means the city is likely on the hook for anything above $53,000 —- if a court rules in Domurad’s favor and awards a decision higher than $53,000.