By Michael Clark, Press Staff Writer
Mooney III is in Superior Court today seeking an injunction to avoid his planned demotion next week.
Mooney is part of Mayor Lorenzo Langford's layoff plan that would cut at least 35 jobs and demote several other police officials.
The chief's attorney, John Donnelly, filed a motion to show cause for the city's planned demotion on Thursday. That motion is currently being heard before Superior Court Judge Valerie Armstrong. If approved, the city would temporarily be restrained from demoting the chief or taking any other action against him that might change his rights, authority, salary or benefits.
If demoted to deputy chief, Mooney would appear to lose his seniority. Deputy Police Chief Ernest C. Jubilee II would likely hold more authority over Mooney because he was hired in November 1973, almost two years before Mooney.
Mooney originally filed a lawsuit against the city in early April, along with Fire Chief Dennis Brooks, over the appointment of Christine Petersen as the city's new public safety director, a position recently re-created under Langford.
The complaint accuses Langford of "sounding a drumbeat" of interference with Mooney's rights and authority in an attempt to gain control of the city's Police Department. Link
