Lawsuit dismissed, but Darr’s legal fees keep rolling in

Even though former Muscogee County Sheriff John Darr is no longer in office and his lawsuit against the city and its top leaders has been dismissed, his legal bills continue to come in for local taxpayers to pay, according the Columbus Council’s agenda for this week.

On first reading at Tuesday’s 9 a.m. meeting is an ordinance amending the fiscal 2017 operating budget to pay three attorneys about $53,000 in fees for representing Darr in his lawsuit against the city.

The bills cover services provided between September and December 2016.

Attorney Kellye C. Moore billed the city $36,779.78 for services from Aug.1 through Nov. 30, 2016.

Attorney Kerry Howell billed the city $15,705.56 for services from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30, 2016.

Attorney Duke Groover billed the city $1,133.89 for services from Sept. 9 through December 12, 2016.

Darr and former Superior Court Clerk Linda Pierce sued the city in late 2014, claiming their office budgets were insufficient to carry out their obligations and that the city’s budgeting process was improper, if not illegal. Darr and Pierce lost their 2016 elections to Donna Tompkins and Ann Hardman, respectively, setting up the dismissal of their lawsuits last week.

Marshal Greg Countryman and Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton Bishop co-filed a similar lawsuit at about the same time. Both faced opposition in the 2016 elections but retained their posts. Their lawsuit remains in Superior Court.

In the Darr and Pierce suits, the city had to pay for not only its lawyers, but also for the plaintiffs because they were constitutional officers. In the Countryman and Bishop suit, the city only had to pay its lawyers because the plaintiffs are not constitutional officers.

In total, the city has paid more than $2 million in attorney fees in the three lawsuits.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Lawsuit dismissed, but Darr’s legal fees keep rolling in."