Projo Politics Blog

The state Supreme Court has stepped in to delay the layoffs of five state sheriffs who said they were unfairly laid off by the Carcieri administration, but who lost their case when they went to court.

In a decision late last week, Superior Court Judge Judith Colenback Savage ruled that Carcieri acted properly when his administration issued layoff notices to the sheriffs. The governor, she said, has the "inherent power" under the Rhode Island Constitution to lay off such employees when the state faces financial difficulties.

This week, the Supreme Court issued a stay of the order, saying only that "the Duty Justice has examined the memoranda submitted by each party and has reviewed the relevant statutory and case law cited by each," and thus concluded that a month-long stay was appropriate.

The case will be reviewed by the entire state Supreme Court on September 4.

The sheriffs suit asserted that the governor's administration did not have the authority to lay them off without "just cause" given that they'd all been appointed to 10-year-terms. The five sheriffs are Ann M. Castelli, the sheriff of Kent County, Joseph K. Ford, the sheriff of Newport County, and three chief deputy sheriffs: James M. Grant, Jo-Ann J. Macari and Daniel E. Silva.

 Tags  Governor Carcieri layoffs Rhode Island sheriffs Superior Court Supreme Court

---