diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
index 5dc882ab03..855e19ff0b 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.design;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.Node;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTAssertStatement;
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTBlock;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTBlockStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTExpression;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTMethodDeclaration;
@@ -94,22 +94,22 @@ public class UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
      * @return
      */
     private boolean hasAssertStatement(VariableNameDeclaration variableDeclaration, ASTReturnStatement rtn) {
-        boolean hasAssert = false;
         ASTBlockStatement blockStatement = variableDeclaration.getAccessNodeParent().getFirstParentOfType(ASTBlockStatement.class);
         int startIndex = blockStatement.jjtGetChildIndex() + 1;
         int endIndex = rtn.getFirstParentOfType(ASTBlockStatement.class).jjtGetChildIndex();
-        ASTBlock block = (ASTBlock)blockStatement.jjtGetParent();
+        Node block = blockStatement.jjtGetParent();
         for (int i = startIndex; i < endIndex; i++) {
             List<ASTAssertStatement> asserts = block.jjtGetChild(i).findDescendantsOfType(ASTAssertStatement.class);
             for (ASTAssertStatement assertStatement : asserts) {
                 List<ASTName> names = assertStatement.findDescendantsOfType(ASTName.class);
                 for (ASTName n : names) {
                     if (n.hasImageEqualTo(variableDeclaration.getName())) {
-                        hasAssert = true;
+                        return true;
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
-        return hasAssert;
+
+        return false;
     }
 }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
index 15297a73e9..cd473e0759 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
@@ -75,6 +75,22 @@ public class Foo {
         int res = 2; assert res>=0;
         return res;
     }
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>#219 ClassCastException in switch case with local variable returned</description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+    public int m(int val) {
+        switch (vl) {
+            default:
+                int i = 0;
+                return i;
+        }
+    }
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
index a9bdb48b74..ca92321b54 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
+++ b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ The PMD team is pleased to announce PMD 5.5.4
 
 ### Fixed Issues
 
+*   java-design
+    *   [#219](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/219): \[java] UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn: ClassCastException in switch case with local variable returned
 *   java-optimizations
     *   [#215](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/215): \[java] RedundantFieldInitializer report for annotation field not explicitly marked as final