Freeman v. Polling

MILLER, Chief Justice:

We are asked on this appeal to determine whether the termination of certain county employees violated their constitutional due process rights. We find their rights not to have been violated.

In the 1976 election, incumbent Republican Donald Semmelman lost the sheriff’s race to Democrat Virgil Poling. Poling died two weeks later and was replaced by his widow, Maud Ann Poling. Before Sheriff Poling took office on January 1, 1977, there were thirteen employees in the Sheriff's office including the four appellants. When she assumed the office, she verbally notified each of…