Somerset County Deputy Troy Durham Files New Lawsuit

Written by
Liz Holland

May 9 2013
PRINCESS ANNE — A Somerset County sheriff’s deputy involved in a drawn-out legal battle with Sheriff Robert N. Jones and county officials filed a new lawsuit this week against the Maryland Police Training Commission for deprivation of rights under the First Amendment.

Commission members denied James “Troy” Durham’s request to be recertified as a police officer following an April 10 hearing. Durham has been working since last September monitoring security cameras at the Somerset County Courthouse, but he has been without a uniform, service weapon or arrest powers.

Jones and Chief Deputy Ronnie Howard “have interfered with and impeded with, among other things, the Plaintiff’s right to regain his police powers,” according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

The lawsuit alleges the commission members “have worked hand-in-glove with Sheriff Jones and others in seeking to deny law enforcement certification to the Plaintiff, tantamount to a conspiracy to deny the Plaintiff the legal victories that he has earned.”

Among the commission members named in the lawsuit is Wicomico County Sheriff Michael A. Lewis, who the suit alleges is “closely aligned” with Jones and Howard. Lewis could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Durham is seeking $5 million and a reversal of the commission’s decision.

Earlier this week, a federal judge in Durham’s lawsuit against Jones and the county agreed to remove himself after lawyers for the county’s insurance company complained of “deep-seated favoritism” for the plaintiff.

Additionally, U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson was involved in a previous case filed by Howard Hoffman, attorney for Deputy James “Troy” Durham. In that case, Hoffman had filed his own employment discrimination lawsuit in 2004 against the Baltimore Police Department after his job there was terminated.

Attorneys for the Local Government Insurance Trust said Nickerson failed to disclose he had been involved in Hoffman’s case, according to court documents.

The judge said he disagreed he showed bias in the case, but had the case reassigned.

Durham’s case against Sheriff Robert N. Jones started in 2008 when Durham filed a grievance against the Sheriff’s Office, alleging internal corruption and accusing co-workers of forcing him to change a police report.

He was later fired, but after winning two court battles — including a $1 million judgment against Jones — was allowed to return to work in September.

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