OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — After a lengthy legal battle with Ottawa County, its health officer, Adeline Hambley, will have her legal fees paid for by the county per a court order Monday.
A ruling Monday from 20th Circuit Court Judge Jenny L. McNeill ordered that Ottawa County pay $188,179.24 to Hambley's counsel to cover attorney fees and costs accrued over multiple lawsuits and a termination hearing by the county board.
The ruling stems from the series of lawsuits against the county after a newly-elected Ottawa County Board of Commissioners illegally tried to terminate Hambley as the county's health officer. Ottawa Impact-backed candidates had won a majority of the board's seats in the November 2022 election and began to try to fire Hambley shortly after taking office.
Hambley first sued the county in February of 2023 after the board voted to terminate her, but Hambley was granted a restraining order by the courts, preventing the board from following through with the firing.
An appeals court decision later allowed for Hambley's termination as long as it complied with Michigan law.
After a county board-run termination hearing that lasted several sessions in October and November of 2023, the county and Hambley had appeared to reach a settlement of $4 million to be awarded to Hambley, in addition to Hambley keeping her job as health officer.
The $4 million was later disputed by the board and Hambley again turned to the courts, this time to enforce the settlement. The courts found that the $4 million settlement was not made in compliance with Michigan law.
Hambley then requested that the county pay her over $188,000 legal fees she acquired during the litigation process.
On Monday, Aug. 26, the court awarded Hambley's counsel $166,209.24 for legal fees pertaining to the main litigation as well as $21,970 to cover the fees from the county's termination hearing.
Hambley was represented by Sarah Howard, a shareholder in the law firm Penske Smith PC. Howard was also assisted by another attorney and a paralegal during the litigation.