Denning v. JOHNSON SHERIFF'S CIVIL SERVICE

266 P.3d 557, 46 Kan. App. 2d 688
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedOctober 21, 2011
Docket104,318
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 266 P.3d 557 (Denning v. JOHNSON SHERIFF'S CIVIL SERVICE) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Denning v. JOHNSON SHERIFF'S CIVIL SERVICE, 266 P.3d 557, 46 Kan. App. 2d 688 (kanctapp 2011).

Opinions

Marquardt, J.:

Michael Maurer appeals the district court’s decisions of March 30, 2010, and January 8, 2009, terminating his employment with the Johnson County Sheriff s Department. We affirm.

On July 26,2007, while Master Deputy Mike Maurer was driving from Topeka to the Johnson County Sheriff s Department with Deputy Darrin Eddy, a horsefly got into the police car. Maurer tossed a 5-pound notebook that had metal comers on it at the windshield trying to kill the horsefly. Immediately after Maurer hit the windshield with the notebook, both Eddy and Maurer noticed a spiderweb crack in the windshield. Maurer commented to Eddy that he wondered how he would explain the crack to his sergeant. On their return to the sheriff s department, Maurer put the car keys on his sergeant’s desk with a post-it note saying “Crack — rock in windshield.”

Sergeant Joe Greenwood found Maurer’s post-it note the next morning and talked with Maurer between 7:30 and 8 a.m. When questioned about the crack, Maurer told Greenwood that “the windshield had spiderwebbed as the result of a rock chip the pre[691]*691vious day.” Deputy Eddy came in later and told Greenwood that Maurer had tried to kill the horsefly with the notebook and caused the windshield to crack.

Greenwood and Lieutenant Pinkelman inspected the windshield and could find no rock chip in the cracks. Because of the disparity in the two versions of the events that led to the windshield being cracked, Greenwood asked Maurer to prepare a written report and to be “as detailed as possible.” The report form had the following words printed at the top: “DETAILS (REPORT ALL FACTS IN LOGICAL SEQUENCE).” At 10 a.m. on July 27, Maurer returned to Greenwood’s office with a written report form dated July 26, 2007, which stated in its entirety:

“On 07-26-07 from 0800-1600 hours, I was assigned to Court Services. At approximately 1500 Hours, Deputy Eddy and I were returning from Topeka Juvenile Correctional Facility when a small chip in the windshield grew into crack. I believe I must have aggravated the chip when I attempted to kill a Horse Fly that we picked up in Topeka. As we drove the rest of the way back to Olathe, the small crack became larger.
“When I returned to tire office, I placed a yellow post it note with the keys on Sergeant Greenwoods [sic] desk. Nothing further to report.”

When Greenwood discussed this report with Maurer, Maurer did not tell Greenwood that he had thrown a pookette at the windshield. Pinkelman was provided with a copy of Maurer’s report, and he asked Maurer to prepare a more detailed report. Maurer prepared a second written report also dated July 26, 2007, that stated in its entirety:

“On 07-26-07 from 0800-1600 hours, I was assigned to Court Services. At approximately 1500 Hours, Deputy Eddy and I were returning from Topeka Juvenile Correctional Facility, after dropping off an inmate. While driving down the highway, I attempted to kill a large horse fly that had gotten into the car. Not wanting to take a chance of this Horse Fly flying into my face while driving, I grabbed the only thing I could find, which was a blue smooth notebook (no binders) and attempted to kill it. I believe that striking the windshield aggravated a previous rock chip that grew into a spider web’. This action was in no way done, with any ill attempt to do damage to Unit 176. This was purely a[n] accident and I take full responsibility.
When I returned to the office, everyone had already left for the day, so I placed a yellow ‘post it note’ with the keys on Sergeant Greenwood’s desk. On the small note I wrote ‘windshield cracked’ (rock). The note was placed only as a precaution, so Sergeant Greenwood and the rest of the Court Services were informed of the defect. The small note I left with the keys, was not meant to be a complete explanation, nor to be interpreted as a ‘report.’ ”

[692]*692Based on Maurer s failure in his verbal and written reports to be honest about his role in cracking the windshield, Pinkelman determined that Maurer had violated the sheriff s department’s truthfulness policy LL, which states:

“1. Any intentional falsification of or any failure to disclose information relevant to suitability or fitness for employment may result in Administrative action.
“a. Employees are prohibited from intentionally making any false statement(s) in connection with their performance of official duties or with their fitness for duty.
1) Making a false statement. (A)
“b. Employees are prohibited from failing to disclose information in connection with the performance of their duties.
1) Failure to disclose information. (A)”

Captain Wayne Rector investigated Maurer’s actions by interviewing officers and examining the evidence. The windshield was sent to the Johnson County’s Criminalistics Laboratory for testing. The laboratory report stated:

“The direction of force could not be determined based on the damage observed on the windshield. Wallner lines and fractures are not rehable on laminated glass because the two sheets of glass are restricted in their movement by each other and the laminate material. A low velocity projectile could create this type of damage from impact on either side of the windshield.”

During his internal investigation, Rector interviewed Maurer on August 7, 2007, and asked:

“Rector: . . . During the transport did you at any time during the transport witness a rock hit the windshield?
“Maurer: No.
“Rector: Okay, there’s no issue of a rock hitting the windshield, all right. When, when Deputy Eddy pointed out the cracked windshield to you, after okay you guys have had this encounter with the horsefly and you’ve, you’ve thrown the blue folder up there and, and I don’t know if the fly was killed or not, it doesn’t really matter but at the point that the folder was removed and put back away you made a, you made a comment about a rock hitting the windshield, what did you say?
“Maurer: I just said it must have been, the rock must’ve started it and I just simply uh aggravated it. But I didn’t mean a rock hit it that day, you know.
“Rector: All right, was it a joking comment that you made or was it a serious comment.
“Maurer: No it was just a off the wall comment.
[693]*693“Maurer: ... I write a report on it and yet I don’t come out and jump up, or I don’t go in there first thing in the momin’ say I’m the sole reason why this happened, that is why we’re here, because I didn’t wanna take full responsibility for it at first.”

Captain Rector determined that Maurer had violated the sheriff s department truthfulness policy by not telling Greenwood initially that he caused the crack in the windshield. A Professional Standards Board (PSB) of the sheriff s department comprised of five deputies also conducted an investigation concerning Maurer s report of how the windshield was cracked. After the investigation, a hearing was held at winch evidence and sworn testimony were admitted.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Frazier v. City of LeRoy, Kansas
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2024
In re Equalization Appeal of Target Corp.
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2022
Sullivan v. Kansas State Bd. of Nursing
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2021
Ernatt v. City of Wichita
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2020
Denning v. Johnson County Sheriff's Civil Service Bd
329 P.3d 440 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2014)
Rural Water District No. 4 v. City of Eudora, Kansas
720 F.3d 1269 (Tenth Circuit, 2013)
Rural Water District No. 4 v. City of Eudora
875 F. Supp. 2d 1260 (D. Kansas, 2012)
Denning v. JOHNSON SHERIFF'S CIVIL SERVICE
266 P.3d 557 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
266 P.3d 557, 46 Kan. App. 2d 688, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/denning-v-johnson-sheriffs-civil-service-kanctapp-2011.