Thursday, August 12, 2010

Zane back to court on 9/10

Judge Meyer was entertained at 10:00AM today with arguments from Sheriff Nygren's lawyer, who is battling to keep Zane Seipler from getting his job back. Well, it's not actually Nygren's lawyer who is battling. It's Nygren who is battling, and his lawyer gets stuck with the dirty job of trying to keep a straight face in front of a good judge.

And guess who was also in court this morning. Let the record show that Keith Nygren was in Woodstock today, when he otherwise might have been enjoying a slightly cooler day in Minocqua, Wisconsin, where the temperature is about the same as in Woodstock. Normally, it ought to be cooler farther north; right?

Nygren's attorney kept harping on whether Zane had violated public policy, and Zane's FOP lawyer, Heidi Parker, keep trying to get the issue back to whether Arbitrator Malin had violated public policy with his decision. It seems to me that the arbitrator dealt with the issue related to Zane, and the issue is only whether the Sheriff's decision to fire Zane over it was excessive.

Other similar cases of discipline at the sheriff's department resulted in short (3-day) suspensions, not terminations; however, in Zane's case, Nygren fired him.

Judge Meyer bought himself 30 days to sleep on it and set a court date of September 10 for his decision.

If Judge Meyer rules in Zane's favor, will Nygren put him back to work right away? Or will he expend more taxpayer dollars and appeal Judge Meyer's decision? This would certainly move a final decision past Election Day.

3 comments:

But Seriously said...

Gus, I have to say I am consistently surprised by your stance on this one. I thought you were the candidate that was all about making the police follow the law also?

"In both instances, the drivers did not have valid driver’s licenses, so Seipler suggested that a passenger drive the car rather than having it towed. Then, he ticketed the passenger, in one case for speeding and in another case for operating an uninsured vehicle."

That is acceptable for you? In your department officers will know they can falsify a few tickets and at worse get a 3 day weekend off?

As the attorney pointed out this former deputies known falsified tickets ruin his credibility in any future arrests and in turn endanger the community to greater repeat crime.

Richard W Gorski, M.D. said...

This delay,delay,delay modus operandi is not unique to the Sheriff; the city of Woodstock and the Woodstock Police Chief, Robert Lowen are very adept at it also. That is pursuing a personal agenda at the tax payers expense; all in the name of continuing the legal action in the name of the "public good"...bull! TAX PAYERS WAKE UP!!!

But Seriously said...

Even if Siepler returns to work, in this case for a change the tax payers money was actually used to protect them. Every penny kept keeping someone who would falsify charges against someone in our community away from his power to do it is money well spent.