Santos justified in firing, court says

North Township Trustee Adrian A. Santos was justified in firing former East Chicago Councilman Randall “Blue” Artis when he took over as East Chicago City Clerk, according to a federal court jury verdict on June 1.

Artis, who was convicted in the East Chicago “Sidewalk 6”scandal of 2006, sued Santos in March 2016, alleging Santos violated his First Amendment rights because he fired Artis for refusing to support Lake County Circuit Court Judge Marissa McDermott and Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay, Santos’s attorney, Michael Tolbert, said in a release. Artis took a job with the late former City Clerk Mary Morris Leonard after receiving a 27-month sentence for his part in the “Sidewalk 6,” Tolbert said.

The 7-day trial was heard by a jury with U.S. District Court Judge Theresa Springmann presiding.

Santos, who took the Clerk’s office Jan. 1, 2016, fired Artis a month later, because he was a felon and owed the city nearly $1 million in restitution, among other things, Tolbert said.

Santos also asserted Artis was “a significant insurance risk for the City and its taxpayers” because of his previous theft.

“This lawsuit has been pending for almost seven years, and this has been an extremely stressful time for me and my family,” Santos said in a statement.

“I just thank God for closure, the favorable verdict, the excellent work of my legal team, and the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence”

Tolbert thanked the jury for paying close attention to the evidence.

“The jury did a great job and sent a strong message today that elected officials shouldn’t be penalized for doing the right thing,” he said.