MY SUIT AGAINST MERCED COUNTY

I RECEIVED GOOD NEWS YESTERDAY 1/17/2007.

LAST FRIDAY 1/12/2007, MY APPEAL FOR MY LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY AND THE SHERIFF WAS HEARD IN THE FIFTH DISTRICT APPEALS COURT IN FRESNO.

TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, MY LAWSUIT DEALT WITH THE PROMOTION OF ANOTHER CORRECTIONAL SERGEANT WHO DIDN’T EVEN TEST FOR THE POSITION.

WHEN I GRIEVED THIS PROMOTION TO THE COUNTY, I WAS TOLD HIS PROMOTION WAS PART OF A LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT HIS WIFE HAD FILED AND WON AGAINST THE SHERIFF AND UNDER SHERIFF AT THE TIME AND IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF STUPIDVISORS.

WHEN I SAW I WAS GETTING NOWHERE WITH MY GRIEVANCE, I FILED A LAWSUIT. JUDGE HANSEN DISMISSED MY SUIT BECAUSE THE COUNTY CONVINCED HIM I HAD NOT FILED MY SUIT WITHIN THE SIX-MONTH TIME LIMIT.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, YESTERDAY THE APPEALS COURT IN FRESNO REVERSED JUDGE HANSEN’S DECISION.

WHAT THIS MEANS, I WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MY SUIT BACK INTO COURT AND HAVE A JURY HEAR EVERYTHING. INCLUDING SOME INFORMATION ONLY MY ATTORNEY AND MYSELF KNOW.

IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE I STARTED THIS PROCESS BUT BOTH MY WIFE AND I WERE DETERMINED TO STICK WITH THIS AND TAKE IT ALL THE WAY. NOW WE WILL HAVE OUR DAY IN COURT.

TO ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES

DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE THE COUNTY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DECISIONS.

FOR TWENTY FIVE YEARS I WAS A LOYAL COUNTY AND SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE BUT IN THE END, THE COUNTY DIDN’T THINK TWICE ON HOW THEIR DECISION WOULD AFFECT MY LIFE AND THE OTHER SERGEANTS WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TEST FOR THE PROMOTION.

MICHAEL SOFRANEK