Nebraska § 23-1734 - Deputy sheriff; removal, suspension, reduced in rank or grade; procedure; grievance; procedure.

§ 23-1734. Deputy sheriff; removal, suspension, reduced in rank or grade; procedure; grievance; procedure.

(1)(a) Any deputy sheriff may be removed, suspended with or without pay, or reduced in either rank or grade or both rank and grade by the sheriff, after appointment or promotion is complete, by an order in writing, stating specifically the reasons therefor. Such order shall be filed with the sheriff's office merit commission, and a copy thereof shall be furnished to the person so removed, suspended, or reduced. Any person so removed, suspended with or without pay, or reduced in either rank or grade or both rank and grade may, within ten days after presentation to him or her of the order of removal, suspension with or without pay, or reduction, appeal to the commission from such order. The commission shall, within two weeks after the filing of such appeal, hold a hearing thereon, and thereupon fully hear and determine the matter, and either affirm, modify, or revoke such order. The appellant shall be entitled to appear personally, produce evidence, and have counsel or other representation and a public hearing. The finding and decision of the commission shall be certified to the sheriff and shall forthwith be enforced and followed, but under no condition shall the employee who has appealed to the commission be permanently removed, suspended with or without pay, or reduced in rank until such finding and decision of the commission is so certified to the sheriff.

(b) This subsection does not apply to a deputy sheriff during his or her probationary period.

(2) Any deputy sheriff may grieve a violation of an employment contract, a personnel rule, a state or local law, or a written departmental policy or procedure to the commission. The commission shall hear the grievance at the next regularly scheduled meeting, or the commission may, at its discretion, set a special meeting to hear the grievance. If the deputy sheriff is subject to a labor agreement, all applicable procedures in the agreement shall be followed prior to the matter being heard by the commission. In all other cases, the matter shall be grieved, in writing, to the commission within fifteen calendar days after the date the deputy sheriff became aware of the occurrence giving rise to the grievance. After hearing or reviewing the grievance, the commission shall issue a written order either affirming or denying the grievance. Such order shall be delivered to the parties to the grievance or their counsel or other representative within seven calendar days after the date of the hearing or the submission of the written grievance.

An order by a sheriff's merit commission is not final until the order is written and delivered to the parties or counsel. Schaffer v. Cass County, 290 Neb. 892, 863 N.W.2d 143 (2015).

This section does not become operative until a deputy sheriff has been reduced in either rank or grade or both by the sheriff; it does not become operative until the sheriff acts. The commissioner's authority, under this section, to modify the action of the sheriff does not permit him to increase the punishment imposed by the sheriff. Freese and Johnson v. County of Douglas, 210 Neb. 521, 315 N.W.2d 638 (1982).