Pay up
November 10th, 2009I suspect this is one of those cases in which the city feels it has to fight to the bitter end in fear of setting some kind of precedent. God knows what trouble in might get in if it got the reputation of being soft on back-pay issues. But it does not seem to be in a very sympathetic situation:
A Fort Wayne Police officer has turned to legal means to try to get $25,734 in back pay for time he was on administrative leave for a misdemeanor battery charge of which he was later acquitted.
Craig Dennis filed a complaint in Allen Superior Court Monday against the Fort Wayne board of public safety which denied his request for back pay on Oct. 12, citing that he did not experience any particular hardships during his leave – except for being unemployed – and did not make every effort to find other employment during that time, according to court documents.
No “particular” hardship except for being unemployed, not getting paid and running up legal bills? He did not make “every effort” to seek other unemployment? We can only imagine some of those job interviews. “Do you have any misdemeanor or felony convictions?” “Weeelll, not exactly.”
The reason Dennis was put on administrative leave turnsout not to have been valid — so says a jury of his peers, and that’s what matters. If he hadn’t been put on leave, he wouldn’t be missing the pay. Or am I missing some legal subtlety not immediately obvious to the layman?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Leo:
I guess being merely “unemployed” isn’t a “real” hardship…unless you’ve spent the bank account on taxes, mortgages..and maybe even doctor bills.
And, you’re the ONLY breadwinner in the family.
Maybe Officer Dennis could have hit up Obama for a bailout?
He could have also sought other employment during the time off…like security guard…’ya think?
(or are we so indoctrinated into sitting back and WAITING for someone to give us yet another entitlement?)
I’m just sayin’…