GLENN COUNTY DEPUTY
REINSTATED
Almost one year after he was terminated as a Glenn County Sheriff's
Deputy, Todd James received justice. The Board of Supervisors
unanimously ordered him reinstated and awarded full back pay and
benefits.
James was charged with a number of offenses related to his work on
the Narcotics Task Force. The most common allegation was that James was
dishonest during 16 hours of interrogation.
An example of his alleged dishonesty and evasiveness involved his
response to a question asking him to describe his duties when he joined
the Task Force. He responded; "To go out and buy dope and log it in
evidence and go to court." When he later acknowledged that his job
duties were broader than that the Department concluded he was dishonest
and evasive. Neither the Hearing Officer, William Riker nor the Board of
Supervisors agreed.
Another charge related to fabrication of documents. The hearing
officer found this to be; "the most outrageous misrepresentation of
the responses of Appellant Todd James. It raises serious concern by this
arbitrator on the entire veracity of the conduct of the investigation,
the interrogation and the reliance on the part of the Sheriff to
terminate Deputy Sheriff Todd James."
It was noted that James had an exemplary record from the time he
joined the Department. He believed he was a "good cop" whose
only ambition was to remain a "good cop" until retirement.
Hearing Officer Riker stated that James' responses to the interrogation
after a grueling interrogation, "spoke volumes as to his honesty
and dedication to the job of law enforcement."
Riker summed up his decision noting; "Taxpayers demand that law
enforcement officers put themselves in harms way and expect them, when
necessary, to live in the sewer with rats, yet if any excrement gets on
their uniform while in the course of their duties they are accused of
violating their Oath of Office and should therefore be discarded without
compulsion. It appears to this arbitrator that, as a minimum, a law
enforcement officer should be accorded the same rights and respect we
offer to law breakers and consider them innocent until proven
guilty."
James was represented by LDF Panel Attorney Michael A. Tarlton.
