Sec. 11. (a) The sheriff may dismiss, demote, or
temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring
charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the board,
which is reviewable in the circuit court, superior court, or probate
court. Written notice of the charges and hearing must be delivered by
certified mail to the officer to be disciplined at least fourteen (14) days
before the date set for the hearing. The officer may be represented by
counsel. The board shall make specific findings of fact in writing to
support its decision.
(b) The sheriff may temporarily suspend an officer with or without
pay for a period not exceeding fifteen (15) days, without a hearing
before the board, after preferring charges of misconduct in writing
delivered to the officer.
(c) A county police officer may not be dismissed, demoted, or
temporarily suspended because of political affiliation nor after the
officer's probationary period, except as provided in this section. Subject
to IC 3-5-9, an officer may:
(1) be a candidate for elective office and serve in that office if
elected;
(2) be appointed to an office and serve in that office if appointed;
and
(3) except when in uniform or on duty, solicit votes or campaign
funds for the officer or others.
(d) The board has subpoena powers enforceable by the circuit court,
superior court, or probate court for hearings under this section. An
officer on probation may be dismissed by the sheriff without a right to
a hearing.
(e) An appeal under subsection (a) must be taken by filing in court,
within thirty (30) days after the date the decision is rendered, a verified
complaint stating in a concise manner the general nature of the charges
against the officer, the decision of the board, and a demand for the
relief asserted by the officer. A bond must also be filed that guarantees
the appeal will be prosecuted to a final determination and that the
plaintiff will pay all costs only if the court finds that the board's
decision should be affirmed. The bond must be approved as bonds for
costs are approved in other cases. The county must be named as the
sole defendant and the plaintiff shall have a summons issued as in other
cases against the county. Neither the board nor the members of it may
be made parties defendant to the complaint, but all are bound by
service upon the county and the judgment rendered by the court.
(f) All appeals shall be tried by the court. The appeal shall be heard
de novo only upon any new issues related to the charges upon which
the decision of the board was made. Within ten (10) days after the
service of summons, the board shall file in court a complete written
transcript of all papers, entries, and other parts of the record relating to
the particular case. Inspection of these documents by the person
affected, or by the person's agent, must be permitted by the board
before the appeal is filed, if requested. The court shall review the
record and decision of the board on appeal.
(g) The court shall make specific findings and state the conclusions
of law upon which its decision is made. If the court finds that the
decision of the board appealed from should in all things be affirmed,
its judgment should so state. If the court finds that the decision of the
board appealed from should not be affirmed in all things, then the court
shall make a general finding, setting out sufficient facts to show the
nature of the proceeding and the court's decision on it. The court shall
either:
(1) reverse the decision of the board; or
(2) order the decision of the board to be modified.
(h) The final judgment of the court may be appealed by either party.
Upon the final disposition of the appeal by the courts, the clerk shall
certify and file a copy of the final judgment of the court to the board,
which shall conform its decisions and records to the order and
judgment of the court. If the decision is reversed or modified, then the
board shall pay to the party entitled to it any salary or wages withheld
from the party pending the appeal and to which the party is entitled
under the judgment of the court.
(i) Either party shall be allowed a change of venue from the court or
a change of judge in the same manner as such changes are allowed in
civil cases. The rules of trial procedure govern in all matters of
procedure upon the appeal that are not otherwise provided for by this
section.
(j) An appeal takes precedence over other pending litigation and
shall be tried and determined by the court as soon as practical.
[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citation:
17-3-14-7.]
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.61. Amended by Acts
1981, P.L.315, SEC.9; P.L.347-1985, SEC.1; P.L.350-1987, SEC.1;
P.L.197-1988, SEC.1; P.L.265-1993, SEC.5; P.L.135-2012, SEC.12;
P.L.84-2016, SEC.183.
Notes of Decisions
Marion Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd. v. Peoples Broad. Corp., 547 N.E.2d 235 (Ind. 1989).
· cites it 12× “Counsel further explained that the board would not enforce its Rule 505(B)(3) during the hearing conducted pursuant to Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11 . Thus, the board would permit the reasonable use of recording devices.”
Berry v. Peoples Broad. Corp., 547 N.E.2d 231 (Ind. 1990).
· cites it 24× “Disciplinary action by the sheriff is subject to a fair public hearing by the Marion County Sheriff's Merit Board under Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11 . [1] The board convened a public hearing on April 29, 1986, to receive evidence, deliberate on the charges against the deputies, and…”
Cantrell v. Morris, 849 N.E.2d 488 (Ind. 2006).
· cites it 2× “But the remedies for violation of that right were based on the statute governing sheriffs employees, Indiana Code section 36-8-10-11, and that decision did not address any implied constitutional remedy.”
Roberts v. Cnty. of Allen, 773 N.E.2d 850 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).
· cites it 6× “A hearing to afford Roberts the process which is required by Ind.Code § 36-8-10-11 (Burns Code Ed. Repl.”
Robert Gray, Jr. v. Cnty. of Starke, Indiana, 82 N.E.3d 913 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017).
· cites it 4× “Discussion and Decision Standard of Review Indiana Code Section 36-8-10-11(a) provides in relevant part: “The sheriff may dismiss, demote, or temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the…”
Delaney v. Carmichael, 670 F. Supp. 255 (S.D. Ind. 1987).
· cites it 15× “The plaintiff also urges that the Delaware County Ordinance is void because its sanctioning of unilateral dismissals of reserve officers by the sheriff is in conflict with Indiana Code § 36-8-10-11 which, in pertinent part, provides that “[t]he Sheriff may dismiss, demote, or…”
Thompson v. Hays, 867 N.E.2d 654 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007).
· cites it 4× “Code § 36 — 8—10—10(b), and thereafter can only be disciplined or dismissed in accordance with the procedures described in Indiana Code section 36-8-10-11. 9 . We note that the Indiana Attorney General reached the opposite conclusion.”
Knox v. Trs. of Indiana Univ., 160 F. Supp. 3d 1073 (N.D. Ind. 2016).
· cites it 8× “First, Plaintiff reasons that the grant to university police officers in § 21-39-4-5(a)(2) of the “same powers, privileges, immunities, and duties as sheriffs and constables” (emphasis added), coupled with Indiana Code § 36-8-10-11, which governs mandatory sheriff merit board…”
Robert v. Carter, 819 F. Supp. 2d 832 (S.D. Ind. 2011).
· cites it 4× “Section 36-8-10-11 provides, in pertinent part, “[t]he sheriff may dismiss, demote, or temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the board, which is reviewable in the circuit court.”
Jeffrey L. Heideman v. Wayne Wirsing & Price Cnty., Wisconsin, 7 F.3d 659 (7th Cir. 1993).
“21(8)(b)(l); see also Ind.Code § 36-8-10-11. For example, Heitkamper, a deputy of long standing in Price County protected by the local collective bargaining agreement, retained his post as a deputy sheriff after his unsuccessful challenge to Wirsing.”
Kennedy v. McCarty, 778 F. Supp. 1465 (S.D. Ind. 1991).
· cites it 3× “Code § 36-8-3-4, requiring cause for termination of county police officers and establishing a review procedure from the decision of a merit board to terminate an officer] refers only to “county police officer” and not to “police reserves” “implies” that the state legislature had…”
— Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11(a) — 10 cases
Marion Cnty. Sheriff's Merit Bd. v. Peoples Broad. Corp., 547 N.E.2d 235 (Ind. 1989).
“Counsel further explained that the board would not enforce its Rule 505(B)(3) during the hearing conducted pursuant to Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11 . Thus, the board would permit the reasonable use of recording devices.”
Robert Gray, Jr. v. Cnty. of Starke, Indiana, 82 N.E.3d 913 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017).
“Discussion and Decision Standard of Review Indiana Code Section 36-8-10-11(a) provides in relevant part: “The sheriff may dismiss, demote, or temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the…”
Robert v. Carter, 819 F. Supp. 2d 832 (S.D. Ind. 2011).
“Section 36-8-10-11 provides, in pertinent part, “[t]he sheriff may dismiss, demote, or temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the board, which is reviewable in the circuit court.”
Berry v. Peoples Broad. Corp., 547 N.E.2d 231 (Ind. 1990).
“Disciplinary action by the sheriff is subject to a fair public hearing by the Marion County Sheriff's Merit Board under Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11 . [1] The board convened a public hearing on April 29, 1986, to receive evidence, deliberate on the charges against the deputies, and…”
— Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11(c)(1) — 1 case
Thompson v. Hays, 867 N.E.2d 654 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007).
“Code § 36 — 8—10—10(b), and thereafter can only be disciplined or dismissed in accordance with the procedures described in Indiana Code section 36-8-10-11. 9 . We note that the Indiana Attorney General reached the opposite conclusion.”
— Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11(e) — 1 case
— Ind. Code § 36-8-10-11(h) — 1 case
Robert Gray, Jr. v. Cnty. of Starke, Indiana, 82 N.E.3d 913 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017).
“Discussion and Decision Standard of Review Indiana Code Section 36-8-10-11(a) provides in relevant part: “The sheriff may dismiss, demote, or temporarily suspend a county police officer for cause after preferring charges in writing and after a fair public hearing before the…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.