Saturday, April 12, 2003

First amendment claim of Tennessee deputy dismissed in E.D. Tenn.

The Kingsport Times reports here on the dismissal of the First Amendment lawsuit of a Tennessee deputy sheriff who claimed he was discharged for speaking in favor of the candidacy of the incumbent sheriff's opponent.

On the Virginia side, particularly before Judge Williams of the W.D. Va. (who has ruled on the issue at least twice), and even more particularly since the Fourth Circuit's ruling in the Jenkins v. Medford, deputies with law-enforcement responsibilities are apparently fair game for political terminations. Arguably, the same outcome obtains, regardless of whether the deputy proceeds on a "freedom of speech" theory or a "freedom of association" theory.

No comments: