HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The written and oral arguments have gone before an arbitrator, the Hutchinson 
City Council and now the Reno County District Court. Oral arguments were heard today in the civil case filed by two former Hutchinson Police officers who were terminated for lying during an internal investigation.
The local Fraternal Order of Police filed civil action against the city on behalf of Lorenzo Bohringer and Charles Malvo, claiming the city erred in going against an arbitrator’s ruling that the two should be reinstated. The arguments were much the same as they had been ever since the termination of the two officers took place.
City Attorney Paul Brown went before Judge Trish Rose and said the matter should be handled by the city and not before a court. He argued that the two officers lied during an internal investigation into a complaint against another officer. He said that lying is strictly forbidden in the police department, and could not be tolerated.
The attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Matthew Huntsman argued that if that is the case, why did another officer get just a written warning for lying to his superior over the completion of a police report that was to be use in a court hearing? He also argued that the city wanted to send such matters to arbitration during the latest bargaining agreement, and then went against an arbitrator’s ruling when it didn’t suit them.
Judge Rose stated that she will have a ruling in the matter within 30 days.