Appeal of order to rehire police chief is dismissed

5/29/2004

The 6th District Court of Appeals has dismissed Marblehead's appeal of a ruling ordering the village to reinstate former police Chief Wood Holbrook.

In a decision filed Tuesday, the appeals court ruled that the ruling, issued earlier this year by Judge Paul Moon of Ottawa County Common Pleas Court, was not a "final and appealable" order because it did not determine how much back pay and benefits were due to Mr. Holbrook, who was fired Feb. 13, 2003.

In his order to reinstate Mr. Holbrook, Judge Moon ordered attorneys for him and the village to determine how much he was owed. The village instead appealed the reinstatement order.

Mr. Holbrook, who was police chief and street commissioner for eight years, was fired amidst allegations of misconduct. He was investigated but not charged by Ottawa County authorities for his handling of a November, 2002, traffic stop of Councilman John Imke.