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Fayette County commissioner loses suit against colleagues
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A lawsuit by one Fayette County commissioner against her then-colleagues was dismissed by a federal judge today.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, the only Republican on the three-member commission, in 2010 sued Democrats Vincent Zapotsky and Vincent Vicites. She accused them of excluding her from some meetings and decisions, which she said violated her free speech and due process rights.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Reed Eddy, though, found that Ms. Zimmerlink failed to show facts supporting her claim. Though the commissioner "engaged in protected activity by engaging in political speech, there is not sufficient evidence to show that the retaliation [she] suffered was sufficient to deter a person of ordinary firmness from speaking," Judge Eddy wrote.
She granted the Democratic commissioners' motion for summary judgment, ending the case.
Mr. Vicites is no longer on the commission.
First Published November 29, 2012 5:41 pm
