LeChien
A St. Clair County judge has found that the parties in a suit against the Commonfields Cahokia Public Water District violated a local rule when they did not set the case for a future date.
With that in mind, St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert LeChien has set the suit filed by plaintiffs Peggy Pierce, Isaac Turner, Marcus Luster and Dennis Traiteur Jr. for a status conference April 4. If the parties do not appear, the judge writes that he may enter a default judgment, according to a Feb. 10 order.
The plaintiffs are suing the water district and its board of trustees for allegedly firing them for working for opposition campaigns in 2009.
The trustees named in the suit are Marilyn Stringfellow, Carolyn Touchette, Mike Millatti and Erma Millard.
The case has seen little action since its filing last year.
The defendants have not filed an answer to the complaint to date.
The plaintiffs seek damages in excess of $150,000 and reinstatement to their jobs.
LeChien's Feb. 10 order marks the first action in the case in months.
Robert Sprague represents the plaintiffs.
The case is St. Clair case number 10-L-061.