Court rules in cases involving police disciplinary action

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Supreme Court says a state law setting out procedural rights for police officers accused of misconduct should apply whether the complaints are made by citizens or by police departments.

The divided court’s ruling Thursday combined cases involving a University of Louisville police officer and an officer in Mount Washington.

In both cases, the officers requested an administrative review of disciplinary action against them.

State Court of Appeals panels ruled they were not entitled to the reviews because the allegations against them arose from within their departments.

The state’s high court overturned those rulings and sent each case back to lower courts.

Supreme Court Justice Daniel Venters, writing for the majority, said differentiating between citizen’s complaints and police complaints was created by the lower courts rather than the Legislature.

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