An Alachua County Sheriff's Lieutenant is turning to the courts to get his old job back.

Jim Troiano has filed suit against Sheriff Sadie Darnell and is planning on taking her to court.

Troiano has filed suit in circuit court, accusing Sheriff Darnell of improperly demoting him from captain and re-assigning him to the patrol division.

In the suit Troiano claims he wasn't given any chance to respond to complaints made against him in a disciplinary investigation.

Troiano's lawyer, Gloria Fletcher, says Darnell broke the law by refusing to allow him to appeal to the complaint review board.

"All we're saying is play by the rules and follow the statue. That's all we want. We want to set aside the discipline and give us an opportunity to have a career service board look at it and make a determination are these valid complaints and if so is the discipline appropriate," says Fletcher.

Fletcher says Troiano's a nineteen year veteran with outstanding evaluations, and this demotion has not only taken a toll on his reputation, but it's also costing him financially.

They're asking that Troiano be reinstated as a captain, and for his court costs.

WCJB reached Darnell this afternoon but she didn't have much to say. Darnell responded, "On advice of legal counsel, I am unable to make a comment."

Thalia Hayden, WCJB TV20 News