Appeals court upholds termination of Chattanooga police officer Lawrence Goodine

photo Former Chattanooga police officer Lawrence Goodine is seen in Judge Don Poole's courtroom in this file photo.

An appeals court has upheld the termination of a Chattanooga police officer.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals in Knoxville affirmed a trial court's ruling stating that former Chattanooga police Officer Lawrence Goodine should not be reinstated.

Goodine was fired as an officer on April 13, 2007, after an internal affairs investigation led to charges of theft, improper search, improper procedure, untruthfulness and submitting a false report, and a disciplinary court sustained the charges, the Appeals Court decision stated.

He faced criminal charges but was found not guilty of all counts, according to newspaper archives.

Goodine had appealed his termination to the Chattanooga City Council and lost in August 2008, though the council dropped the theft charges.

He then asked the Hamilton County Chancery Court to reverse the City Council's decision, but Chancery Court affirmed the council's actions in March 2010. The Appeals Court affirmed the Chancery Court's ruling.

"Goodine disagrees with the ultimate decision of the City Council. We, however, cannot say that the City Council lacked sufficient evidence to reach its conclusion or that its decision has a mysterious foundation," the Appeals Court decision stated. "Put simply, we do not know any additional formulation of facts or conclusions that would be necessary for adequate review in this matter."

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