Lawsuit against County Commission dismissed

Published 2:40 pm Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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A lawsuit brought by a former employee against members of the Escambia County Commission has been dismissed in court this week.
The case, naming each of the five commissioners, was filed by former county engineer, William E. “Bill” Bridges, following his dismissal from the position in January.
The lawsuit was brought against Commissioners Steven Dickey, Raymond Wiggins, Larry White, Brandon Smith and Karean Reynolds regarding the termination of Bridges.
Attorneys for the Commission filed a motion to dismiss the case and the dismissal was granted on April 17.
Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins said the dismissal was welcomed news.
“I am pleased with the judges ruling in this motion,” Wiggins said. “We can now move forward.”
The granted motion to dismiss was entered into record on Monday in the Circuit Court of Escambia County. The presiding judge in the case to dismiss was J. Clark Stankoski in Baldwin County. Judges in Escambia County has recused themselves from hearing the motion due to conflict of interest.
In the filing, Stankoski ruled that the:
“Motion to dismiss pursuant to rule 12(B) filed by Steven Dickey, Raymond Wiggins, Larry White, Brandon Smith and Karean Reynolds and Escambia County Commission is hereby granted.”
The decision to dismiss the case brought against the Commission and individual commissioners by Bridges will end the fight against the termination. However, Bridges retains the right to appeal the dismissal of the case.