Former streets commissioner pleads guilty of assault

The city's former streets commissioner, arrested in May and charged with punching a man at a family get-together, has pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault.

Donald Carlton was demoted in September to deputy commissioner, docked $30,000 a year in pay, and permitted to return to work.

His court case ended Sept. 26, when he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and received two years probation, his attorney Thomas Kenny said.

Carlton did not return a call for comment.

Kenny said that under state law Carlton should be able to get the misdemeanor expunged in two years.

"Donald Carlton and his family are very happy to put this behind him and move on in his life and move on working for the city of Philadelphia," Kenny said.

"If he basically stays out of trouble, as we expect him to, he'll get to swipe it off his record."

Carlton, a 23-year employee with the department who worked his way up from trash collector, was initially suspended without pay after he was arrested for punching a man multiple times in the face while at a party in Olney last December.

He returned to work Sept. 15 as a deputy streets commissioner, a job that pays $120,000 a year. He was paid $150,000 as commissioner.

City spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said last month that "Don has a long history of service with the city. He made a mistake and he is paying a serious price for it, but we do not think it merits termination."

Hitt said Monday the decision still stands and Carlton will remain in his job.

Former deputy commissioner Mike Carroll remains acting commissioner of the department.

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