A Louisville Metro Police detective fired for wrongfully charging several people and repeatedly misusing photographs intended to help witnesses identify suspects has appealed her termination in Jefferson Circuit Court.
Crystal Marlowe was fired in January 2011 for what former Police Chief Robert White called "blatant disregard" for departmental rules, and the Louisville Police Merit Board upheld that decision in August after 45 minutes of discussion.
Marlowe's appeal seeks to throw out the board's decision, claiming it was "arbitrary and capricious" and members did not have meaningful deliberations about the nine days of testimony, which included thousands of documents and numerous witnesses covering dozens of violations.
The appeal, filed Friday, also alleges that the board chairman, the Rev. Alex Moses, did not allow for meaningful deliberations
Moses declined to comment on Friday, as the case is pending.
Marlowe's appeal also claims the board improperly allowed testimony from a witness alleging misconduct that was not included among the reasons cited in Marlowe's termination. The witness was not named in the appeal.
David Fuller, an attorney for Marlowe, said he had only recently joined the case and was unsure who the witness was.
Fuller said that co-council Mary Sharp, who represented the former detective during her merit board hearing, would be the best person to answer questions. However, Fuller said Sharp was out of the office on Friday. She did not immediately return a phone call.
After the merit board ruling, Sharp said she was "very disappointed" and "hurt" by the quick decision, and called Marlowe "one of the best officers I've ever represented."
Under the law, Marlowe is entitled to appeal the board's decision through Circuit Court.
Marlowe is asking a judge to order a new hearing and give her back pay. Marlowe has repeatedly requested that The Courier-Journal not contact her.
Department officials declined to comment on the pending appeal.
Marlowe was fired for accusing several defendants, many of them juveniles, of crimes they did not commit. Some defendants could not have been guilty of the offenses with which they were charged because they were in jail or had other evidence of their innocence.
A wrongful-arrest lawsuit filed on behalf of nine people against Marlowe and the department is still pending.