FORT SMITH (KFSM) – Judge James Cox addressed two motions Tuesday (June 30) in an ongoing case involving a whistleblower lawsuit.
The case deals with current and former police employees Don Bales, Wendall Sampson and Rick Entmeier against the City of Fort Smith.
Cox dismissed the first motion which was filed against the city for being suspected of hacking the computer of the officers’ lawyer, Matt Campbell.
He granted the second motion which gives summary judgement in the case, and now that the circuit court has dismissed the suit, there will be no need for a trial. The trial had been scheduled for next week.
Sgt. Don Paul Bales had been fired from the Fort Smith Police Department after Chief Kevin Lindsey found he violated several department rules and regulations. The department concluded Bales shared a photo of a confidential probable cause affidavit with his attorney and lied about it. Bales had been concerned the April 2013 arrest of a prostitute may have violated police procedure because the undercover officer engaged in sexual acts with the suspect before arresting her.
Sergeant Daniel Grubbs of the Fort Smith Police Department said in a statement, “The Fort Smith Police Department’s belief is the Judge’s decision speaks for itself and we are simply ready to put this behind us.”
