Title: Kurtz v. City of Apple Valley

State: minnesota

Issuer: Minnesota Supreme Court

Document:

290 N.W.2d 171 (1980) Steven D. KURTZ, Petitioner, Respondent, v. CITY OF APPLE VALLEY et al., Appellants. No. 50055. Supreme Court of Minnesota. February 15, 1980. McMenomy & Sheldon, Edward B. McMenomy, Rosemount, for appellants. Alton, Severson & Sovis and Larry S. Severson, Reese Chezick, Apple Valley, for respondent. Heard before OTIS, YETKA and SCOTT, JJ., and considered and decided by the court en banc. *172 YETKA, Justice. After being suspended from his job as a police officer, Steven Kurtz petitioned the First Judicial District Court of Dakota County for a writ of mandamus under the Veterans' Preference Act, Minn.Stat. § 197.46 (1978). The court granted the writ directing the City of Apple Valley to reinstate Kurtz with backpay. The city appealed the issuance of the writ. We affirm. The sole issue presented on appeal is: May a veteran who is a police officer be suspended without pay pending the resolution of criminal charges brought against him? The facts are not in dispute. Steven Kurtz, an honorably discharged veteran, is a police officer for the City of Apple Valley. On December 12, 1978, criminal charges of assault and aggravated assault on a 1-year-old child were filed against Kurtz. On December 14, 1979, the city gave Kurtz a "Notice of Suspension" suspending him without pay. The contents of that notice are set forth in the discussion below. The notice offered Kurtz a hearing before the city council. Kurtz requested the type of hearing authorized under the Veterans' Preference Act, but the city denied such a hearing. In March 1979, Kurtz petitioned the district court for a writ of mandamus under the act. After a brief hearing, the district court issued a writ, order and memorandum on April 5, 1979, granting Kurtz backpay and directing the city to continue to pay Kurtz unless and until discharged under the act. The court left it up to the city as to whether to assign Kurtz to regular duty or not. The city assigned him to street maintenance work. The city filed a timely notice of appeal from the issuance of the writ. On June 8, 1979, Kurtz was acquitted of the criminal charges by a jury. On June 12, 1979, the city reinstated him to his position as police officer subject to taking certain psychological tests which he has now taken. Thus, this case now amounts to a claim for pay during the 6-month period of suspension. The parties correctly note that the decision of this issue is governed by section 197.46 and three cases interpreting it as to suspensions. The statute provides: Minn.Stat. § 197.46 (1978). Three cases have considered whether a suspension contravenes this act. In Johnson v. Village of Cohasset, 263 Minn. 425, 116 N.W.2d 692 (1962), the employee was given a 5-day suspension for misconduct on the job. At the end of the suspension, the village discharged him. This court stated: 263 Minn. at 436-37, 116 N.W.2d at 700. This first case may have been interpreted as barring any suspension, but it only spoke as to suspensions pending determination of discharge proceedings. In State ex rel. Jenson v. Civil Service Commission, City of Minneapolis, 268 Minn. 536, 130 N.W.2d 143 (1964), cert. denied, 380 U.S. 943, 85 S. Ct. 1023, 13 L. Ed. 2d 962 (1965), the employee was given two suspensions. Under one civil service rule, he was given a disciplinary suspension without pay; under another rule, he was suspended without pay pending discharge proceedings. This court stated that the latter rule: 268 Minn. at 540, 130 N.W.2d at 147 (emphasis added). Finally, in Wilson v. City of Minneapolis, 283 Minn. 348, 168 N.W.2d 19 (1969), a police officer was given a disciplinary suspension. This court upheld the suspension, stating: 283 Minn. at 352, 354, 168 N.W.2d at 22, 23 (emphasis added). These cases establish that (1) a suspension without pay pending discharge proceedings is illegal; (2) a suspension with pay pending discharge proceedings is permissible; and (3) a disciplinary suspension without pay is permissible. It is true that the facts of this case are distinguishable from all of the prior cases. It is also true that there are very good reasons for suspending a police officer charged with a felony. However, we hold that the Veterans' Preference Act prohibits a suspension without pay on the facts of this case. First, this is not a disciplinary suspension. The felony charges were unrelated to Kurtz' employment so he was not being charged with misconduct on the job. Nor was the city attempting to discipline him for being charged with a crime. Although the city argues that the suspension was essentially a disciplinary suspension, it conceded in its brief that this is a case in which "the facts do not justify a suspension for disciplinary purposes." Secondly, it is clear that if Kurtz had been convicted, the city would have fired him. Since the trial could have been dispositive, the suspension pending trial was equivalent to a suspension pending a discharge hearing. This is true even though the city might have granted notice and a hearing after a conviction because discharge would have been inevitable. *174 Thirdly, the city reserved the right to fire Kurtz even if acquitted. Its letter stated: (Emphasis added.) Thus, Kurtz would certainly have been discharged if convicted, and the city was reserving the option of discharging him even if acquitted.[1] Such an action constitutes a suspension pending a decision as to discharge, which is contrary to the statute. The issuance of the writ of mandamus is therefore affirmed. In Johnson, we noted that a veteran removed in a manner contrary to section 197.46 is entitled to compensation for the period of removal subject to customary mitigation of damages principles. In this case, Kurtz received both unemployment compensation benefits and salary when working on street maintenance, but the record does not show the amounts in question. We therefore remand the case to the district court for any necessary calculations. The trial court is thus affirmed and the case remanded. [1] By noting that the city reserved the right to discharge the veteran even if acquitted, we do not mean to indicate that a suspension without pay pending the resolution of the criminal charges would have been permissible but for such a reservation; the result would be the same. Nor do we imply that the city would not have been required, in response to statutory notice under the Veterans' Preference Act, to grant a hearing after disposition of the criminal charges regardless of the outcome; it would be.