A federal jury on Tuesday awarded more than $5 million to four former high-ranking Adams County Sheriff’s Office employees who said former Sheriff Richard Reigenborn forced them to resign in 2019 because they had supported his opponent in the election, their attorney said.
Former chiefs Timothy James Coates and Gene Claps, along with former captain Mark Mitchell and former commander Kevin Currier brought the federal lawsuit against Adams County and Reigenborn in 2020.
They alleged Reigenborn — who has since been convicted of felony forgery for faking police training records — wrongly ousted them from their positions and then filled their roles with his supporters and friends.
Claps has since been elected sheriff and was sworn in Jan. 10, 2023.
The jury returned its verdict Tuesday after deliberating for about two hours, court records show.