Thread: Court slaps Quartzsite with temporary restraining order

Court slaps Quartzsite with temporary restraining order

Story by Ruth Castillo, Reporter

Quartzsite, Arizona August 3, 2011 - The La Paz County Superior Court's temporary restraining order against the town of Quartzsite went into effect Wednesday.

The temporary restraining order filed by attorneys representing the nine officers and an evidence tech put on administrative leave protects them from termination until they've had a pre-termination hearing before a neutral decision maker.

The order names the town of Quartzsite, Town Manager Alex Taft, Assistant Manager Al Johnson and Police Chief Jeff Gilbert as defendants.

"This is a restraining order, a reinstatement [and] a show cause order," says Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster. "Three separate actions to restraint them from further action against the police officers that filed a complaint with the chief."

The town council recently terminated Sgt. William Ponce, the President of the Quartzsite Police Officers Association. The order protects Ponce and the other officers along with their families from retribution from the defendants.

However, Ponce says the defendants aren't abiding by the restraining order. He says the defendants aren't supposed to be judge and jury in termination matters.

"Actually, they kicked me out of town hall today and told me that I'm not being reinstated," says Ponce. "I am terminated and they are going to provide me my last paycheck.

Mayor Foster finds Assistant Town Manager Johnson's action of kicking Ponce out of town hall appalling.

"This a direct violation of the judge's orders," says Mayor Foster. "Therefore, Mr. Johnson is in contempt of court."

The court has ordered Town Manager Taft, Assistant Manager Johnson and Police Chief Gilbert to appear at an "order to show cause" hearing on August 15th in Parker.

"How are they going to go against a judge's order, telling them that they must reinstate me," says Ponce. "They have been provided pages of documentation as to why they need to reinstate me and apparently they think they're above that."

Unlike some of the town council meetings in Quartzsite, the hearing in Parker won't be behind closed doors. It's opened to the public.

"These people are doing it now to outside entities. You know, they're doing it to the county court system," says Ponce. "The [La Paz County] Superior Court has ordered that we be reinstated and they're saying we don't have to. So these people think they're above everybody, apparently."

http://www.kswt.com/story/15211002/cour ... ning-order

This is getting GOOD

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