The Carbon County District Attorney has filed paperwork in county court to remove a Lansford Borough Councilman from office.

Michael S. Greek filed the quo warranto complaint to remove Jay Doyle from Lansford Borough Council last week.

Doyle is currently serving a sentence of 42 to 84 months at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill for a 2023 assault that put a man in the hospital for five weeks.

He began serving his sentence in November and council has been down one person since.

Greek filed the quo warranto action Jan. 15, after receiving a request from borough council to declare the seat vacant.

“I do not have to tell you about his criminal conviction, Jay’s failure to appeal his conviction or his inability to attend further borough council meetings,” Robert Yurchak, the borough’s solicitor, wrote to Greek on Dec. 27.

Council had taken no action prior to remove Doyle following his guilty plea and sentencing, pending any possible appeals.

Greek, in the quo warranto complaint, stated that Doyle had not filed any post sentencing motions within 10 days of his conviction and had not perfected an appeal within 30 days of his sentence.

Doyle did file a pro se motion on Nov. 25 to modify his sentence, which did not challenge his guilty plea or conviction, the district attorney noted in the action.

Doyle, who was represented by Angelo Almonti, filed the motion to modify his sentence, pro-se, or without an attorney.

Court records indicated that a motion for conflict counsel was granted on Jan. 8, and Adam Weaver of Lehighton is now serving as conflict counsel.

Once the seat is declared open by the courts, borough council will have 30 days to fill the vacancy, Yurchak said.

After 30 days, the matter goes before a vacancy board. The vacancy board has 15 days to act. After a total of 45 days, anyone can petition the court to be appointed to the seat, Yurchak said.

Doyle took his seat as a councilman on Jan. 3, 2022, and his term expires at the end of 2025.