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Louisville SWAT members’ attorney to continue fighting for on-call backpay

The officers’ attorney said she would first seek new trial dates and, if that didn’t work, she would appeal the verdicts

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Photo/Greg Friese

By Sarah Calams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An attorney for a group of current and former Louisville Metro SWAT team members will continue to fight for millions of dollars of on-call backpay – even after a jury said the officers were not entitled to any monetary compensation.

The officers’ attorney, Ann Oldfather, said she would first seek new trial dates for the SWAT team members. And if that didn’t work, she would appeal the verdicts, the Courier-Journal reported.

The officers who filed the lawsuit said they missed family gatherings and were unable to secure off-duty jobs due to the on-call rules. The rules, they said, meant they would have to be on-call for two weeks at a time and needed to be within 45 minutes of any call.

“[The jury] clearly found the SWAT team members were fairly compensated for their work per the previously negotiated FOP contract,” Jessica Wethington, communications director for the mayor, told the Courier-Journal.

Members of the department’s bomb squad also have a similar lawsuit pending filed by Oldfather.