Former Ridgely Police Department Employees’ Federal Lawsuit Falls Flat in Court

RIDGELY – A lawsuit against the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Ridgely failed to hold up in court, according to U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson, who dismissed all federal claims last week.  

The lawsuit has a long and storied history, beginning with the investigation of former Ridgely Chief of Police Jeff Eckrich. In February of 2024, the Caroline County State’s Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation, which was then transferred to the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor, based on varied allegations of Eckrich committing misconduct. These allegations were brought by former Ridgely Police Officer James Joles, who had resigned in lieu of termination from the Ridgely Police Department in January. By March, the entire Ridgely Police Department was suspended with pay, and the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office took over the town’s law enforcement operations.  

In May of 2024, the temporary agreement between the Town of Ridgely and the Sheriff’s Office to provide full-time police coverage was extended, and has since been renewed. Though the Office of the State Prosecutor found insufficient evidence to charge the Ridgely Police Department or any individual officers of criminal wrongdoing, the Department was not brought back. The then-Town Commissioners decided against reinstating the Department in September of 2024 due to expense and the fact that many former officers had found other employment opportunities.  

Then, in mid-August of last year, Eckrich and seven other former Ridgely Police Department employees filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of Ridgely, several individual town officials, Caroline County Sheriff Donald Baker, Chief Deputy Rodney Helmer, and former Ridgely Police Department officer James Joles. In part, the aforementioned plaintiffs claimed that the Town of Ridgely and the Sheriff’s Office conspired in a “coup” to subvert the Ridgely Police Department in favor of the Sheriff’s Office taking over policing the town.  

The plaintiffs also argued that they had been suspended and ultimately removed without proper notice or an opportunity to defend themselves. The suit included claims involving due process, defamation, civil conspiracy, and wrongful discharge. The plaintiffs sought damages and asked the court to reinstate the Ridgely Police Department and invalidate the town's agreement with the Sheriff's Office. In response, the Town of Ridgely and the Sheriff’s Office filed motions asking the federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.  

These motions were ultimately successful, as Judge Hurson announced that he was dismissing the case on September 25, 2026. Hurson argued that because the officers had initially been suspended with pay, the allegations did not establish that they had been deprived of their property interest without due process. He also found insufficient basis for the defamation, conspiracy, and other federal claims. Whether anything will come from state-level claims, however, is still up in the air.  

In a statement released by the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Baker and Chief Deputy Helmer said, “We are pleased that this federal lawsuit has been dropped and resolved in our favor. While lawsuits are unfortunately a reality of modern law enforcement, we remain steadfastly committed to transparency, accountability, and serving the residents of Caroline County. We are grateful to our legal team for their hard work in securing this outcome, and we look forward to continuing our focus on protecting and serving our community without this distraction.”