BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - A judge has ordered Gallatin County to pay nearly $126,000 to a wrongfully fired deputy.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports (bit.ly/2n9Ckfj) the county argued David Johnston had collected unemployment benefits and was due about $38,500.
District Judge Brenda Gilbert said the $126,000 covers wages and benefits from his firing in July 2014 through December 2016. Her March 17 order also requires the county to pay $247 per day until Johnston is reinstated or the case is otherwise settled.
Johnston was fired for refusing to immediately turn over a tape recorder that captured an interaction between Johnston and his ex-girlfriend, another deputy that he said berated him while they responded to a call.
Johnston sought advice from an attorney and copied the audio before returning the recorder. Gilbert ordered Johnston reinstated in March 2016, saying the delay did not justify his firing.
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Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com
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