United States Fourth Circuit

A county sheriff was entitled to qualified immunity to a claim that his employees were not reappointed because they supported his opponent in an election, when the law on such employment decisions was not clearly established at the time of the alleged First Amendment violations.

Appellate Information

• Argued 04/04/2002
• Decided 07/29/2002
• Published 07/29/2002

Judges

• Before NIEMEYER, Circuit Judge, HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge, and BROADWATER, United States District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia, sitting by designation.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Jim Harold Guynn, Jr., Guynn Law Offices, Roanoke, Virginia, for Appellant.  Donald Wise Huffman, Huffman & Nixon, P.C., Roanoke, Virginia, for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Robert Hines, Montgomery & Hines, Jonesville, Virginia, for Appellees.