It’s been 30 months since current Martin County Commissioners Dempsey Bond and Ronnie Smith, along with former commissioner Emily Biggs were sued in Superior Court by six Martin County citizens alleging numerous violations of North Carolina Open Meetings Law, corresponding public record law violations and other infractions.
Whether the suit led to further investigations of Smith and former County Manager James Bennett is undisclosed by officials, however, after an SBI investigation Smith and Bennett were criminally indicted. The criminal cases are still working their way through the courts while the civil suit is headed for mediation, according to a notice last month.