The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that a whistleblower lawsuit filed by three former Camden police officers against the city's now-defunct police department can move ahead to trial.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the court decided Thursday that the officers have sufficient evidence to file a claim under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, which protects whistleblowers from retaliation by employers.
The officers filed suit after they claim department higher-ups retaliated against them for speaking out against a patrol method that they viewed as an illegal ticketing quota.
Thursday's ruling upheld a prior federal court decision that the force's "directed patrols" did not equate to illegal ticket quotes. However, the appeals court did find that the department unfairly dismissed the officers' allegations.
An attorney representing the city declined to comment.
