A court battle between the city and a former employee continues to move forward.

Fernessa McConico, who formerly worked within the city’s courts department, was released from her duties by city officials in September 2009 following an audit that showed $95,000 was missing from city coffers. That information was submitted to the Alabama Attorney General’s office, which brought charges against McConico.

Days later, McConico filed a lawsuit against the city and Leeds Mayor Eric Patterson on charges that the city and mayor violated McConico’s race-based equal protection rights, sex-based equal protection rights, procedural due process rights, substantive due process rights, Title 7 sex-based rights, Title 7 race-based rights, as well as a claim of defamation of character.

On May 18, 2010, a judge dismissed all but one count of McConico’s lawsuit against the city. The one charge the city will still have to defend is a charge of racial discrimination under Title 7. The judge dismissed all charges against Patterson.

As for the criminal case against McConico, a hearing is set for July 19 in Jefferson County Court. The date for the actual trial has not been set.

On May 27, a Jefferson County grand jury returned an indictment against McConico on two felony counts of theft of property. The Depatment of Public Examiners indicate that missing funds were under McConico’s control and responsibility. The indictments were rendered for $8,000 on each count of theft.

McConico filed a motion asking for a continuance on her civil cases until the criminal cases were settled. That continuance was denied.