Three Mocksville police officers who were awarded $4.1 million in a lawsuit against the town and former police chief Robert Cook want their jobs back.
Through their attorney, Robert Elliot, they petitioned the judge who presided over the jury trial, Thomas D. Schroeder, to get their jobs back.
Ken Hunter, Jerry Medlin and Rick Donathan claimed their rights to free speech were violated because they were fired after calling the governor’s office to report perceived corruption in the department. A jury hearing the case in U.S. District Court sided with the officers after a short deliberation and after a trial that lasted more than a week.
According to Elliot, the officers deserve to be reinstated to their old jobs – the career they had chosen – at the same pay.
“We wanted to send a message as far as it could reach with as much emphasis as it could have to try and make people realize that the government is for the people, the police department is for the people and not just a few leaders or managers who use it for their own benefit,” Elliot said.
Mocksville officials filed documents with the judge saying that giving the officers their jobs back would cause severe problems in the department, possibly endangering residents because of the turmoil. The town also claims there are no job vacancies in the police department and others would have to be fired, and that Medlin and Hunter no longer have their certification to be officers.
There is no timetable for the judge to make a decision.
Article Source:.Enterprise and record
Editor(1520.com) note:These are jobs that YOU and I the TAXPAYERS PAY FOR which is what these, fired officers ,have totally forgotten, they WERE supposed to PROTECT AND SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. I, Support our Honorable Sheriff Andy Stokes and our Mocksville Officials WHO ARE WORKING TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF DAVIE COUNTY from being forced to choke down paying for more extortion via us the tax payer. I too believe this would endanger Davie residents and cause turmoil in the Department(s).I NEVER want to see these three faces on the streets of Davie county being PAID by the tax payers(again&again) Serving my community.I am so sick of this entitlement mentality of these three.Are we supposed to give back a job to a Registered Nurse if she/he let her/his license/Certification lapse just because she/he wants/DEMANDS it back?? NO!!!!!!They have done ENOUGH damage to our sense our security and BANKRUPTING DAVIE COUNTY with their lawsuits!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Just my humble opinion..............editor