Lawsuit has cost taxpayers $1.1M

Sept. 17--SUNBURY -- The legal fees to defend Northumberland County against the successful lawsuit filed by two former sheriff deputies has cost the taxpayers more than $300,000, bringing the total bill up to $1.1 million in legal fees and settlement awards.

The Daily Item in December previously reported that the county spent $150,148.97 to defend the lawsuit filed by Joseph Jones and Michael Boris -- $24,400 by Sunbury attorney Timothy Bowers between March 9 and Dec. 8, 2010, and $125,748.97 by the Sunbury lawfirm Apfelbaum, Apfelbaum, Apfelbaum between July 27, 2011, and Oct. 14, 2014.

On Friday, county fiscal officer Jonathan Pizzoli provided the latest figures since December now that the lawsuit was settled on Sept. 1. Those five figures add up to $161,082 billed by the Apfelbaum law office.

In February, the county was billed $10,852.50; in May, $16,005; in June, $18,858; in July, $89,555.36; and September, $25,812.

The latest -- and presumably the last -- bill came last week, Pizzoli said.

On June 12, a jury agreed that Boris and Jones were deprived of their constitutional right to free speech and due process by Clausi and Reiner. The jury awarded Jones $225,000 and Boris $270,000. A settlement agreement approved Sept. 1 awarded Williamsport firm Lepley Engelman & Yaw $330,000.

Neither bills nor the settlement are not covered by the county's insurance plan. When the suit was filed in 2010, the county waived the insurance company's involvement in favor of having in-house counsel. That means the county was responsible for any damages and legal fees.

"Whatever it is, we have to pay," Clausi said of the defense bills. "The attorney represented the county, and now we have to pay him."

Boris and Jones were fired in early 2010 for allegedly viewing pornography on county computers. They claimed in their lawsuit filed in 2010 their employment was terminated because they were investigating Clausi's alleged involvement in organized crime.

At a Dec. 29, 2009, commissioners' meeting, Clausi accused two unidentified sheriff employees of viewing pornography on county computers. Two weeks later, Reiner fired Boris and Jones.

Reiner testified he fired Jones and Boris for failing to secure their online computer passwords and for not being responsible for material retrieved with their passwords.

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