Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Dec 5, 2019
State of Missouri ex rel Sheriff Paul Vescovo III vs. Clay County, Missouri
Sheriff Paul Vescovo III sought a writ of mandamus, declaratory relief, and attorney's fees against Clay County, Missouri, alleging the County arbitrarily underfunded his department, particularly for jail operations. The circuit court granted the writ of mandamus, ordering the County to allocate additional funds, but denied attorney's fees. The appellate court affirmed the issuance of the writ, finding the County acted in bad faith, but reversed the denial of attorney's fees, remanding for their calculation, while denying the Sheriff's request for appellate attorney's fees.