Hicks sues county, claims ‘persecution’
by By Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
October 7, 2008
Justice of the Peace Gary Hicks has filed a civil suit against Lincoln County and the county board of commissioners, alleging harassment, persecution and slander following the judge’s August hearing before the Montana Judicial Standards Commission.
The Judicial Standards Commission has not yet decided whether Hicks was guilty or innocent of making inappropriate remarks to a number of women who appeared in his court. The county, however, "began a course of conduct of persecution" against Hicks in the wake of the two-day hearing, the lawsuit alleges.
According to the suit filed on Hicks’ behalf by Kalispell attorney Tammi Fisher, objectionable conduct by county officials has included:
- Asking him to "take a vacation" for several weeks.
- Placing his administrative staff on a temporary administrative leave after they lodged "baseless complaints" against him and providing only one replacement during their absence of three staff members.
- Defaming him in the local press as "a problem."
- Boarding up the windows in his personal office without cause.
- Having weekly meetings with his staff to investigate his treatment of them.
The result has been a hostile work environment that has led to Hicks becoming "severely depressed and physically ill, making his ability to carry out the tasks of his duly elected position incredibly difficult," the suit contends.
The papers filed last week in district court accuse the county of intentional infliction of emotional distress and slander against Hicks. The judge is seeking unspecified damages for past, present and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life along with punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
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Editor’s Note: See the October 6, 2008 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Monday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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