Court rejects sheriff’s police coverage lawsuit

ST ALBANS — The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled against a county sheriff who sued the city of St. Albans over providing police services to the town of the same name.
Last year, the town of St. Albans decided to replace its law enforcement coverage from sheriff’s deputies with police patrols from the adjoining city.
Town officials wanted 24-hour coverage. They felt Franklin County Sheriff Bob Norris was asking for more money than the city was. Norris sued the city, saying the bidding process was so unfair that it killed any competition.
Vermont Public Radio reports the court rejected that argument. It upheld a lower court’s finding that the sheriff’s office wasn’t denied something in which it had a legally protected interest.