Mississippi Police Officers’ Wrongful Firing Suit Returned to Court
A wrongful termination lawsuit filed by two Shelby, Mississippi, police officers who said they were fired for refusing to ignore an alderman’s criminal activity is headed back to federal court in Oxford.
The U.S. Supreme Court in November overturned a decision of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which sided with the town of Shelby against Officers Tracey L. Johnson and David James Jr.
The 5th Circuit last week formally returned the case to the Mississippi court, where the lawsuit had been dismissed.
A judge ruled the officers failed to prove that a federal right was violated or that the alleged violation caused the damages they allegedly suffered.
The Supreme Court said the officers offered facts sufficient to show that their claim had plausibility.