Dr. Wecht's sweet science

Speaking of Pittsburgh politics, there's nothing quite like a Cyril Wecht letter. He's the undisputed heavyweight letter-writing champ (as we've written before), equally skilled at lawyerly jabs as lunging a scalpel right for the heart.

The latest edition (in part above) is a classic of the latter category, wherein the former coroner accuses county exec Rich Fitzgerald of reneging on an alleged 2010 deal (made in Fitz's Squirrel Hill home) to name him medical examiner upon taking office this year. He takes swipes at Fitzgerald's hopes for higher office; his staff choices ("passive, controlled automatons"); his anger toward D.A. "little Stevie boy Zappala"; the lack of coroner's inquests into police shootings since his departure in 2006 ("almost all of which involve white officers and African-American victims"); and mentions letters from some 50 city leaders (including Sophie Masloff and Elsie Hillman) supporting him for M.E. And much more.

Wecht sent copies of his 8-page letter to Fitzgerald to reporters at the Post-Gazette, City Paper (where we stole this pdf) and other media outlets. He signs off to the exec with "I look forward to your response," and so do we.