Bishop, Countryman to pay city more than $16K in legal fees

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - A long standing legal battle with the city of Columbus is seemingly over.

Columbus Council approved a settlement between Marshal Greg Countryman and Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton Bishop Tuesday in an executive meeting following a council meeting.

Bishop and Countryman have agreed to pay the government a total of $8,500 each.

The payments must be made within 90 days from the date the agreement was approved.

The agreement ends a long legal battle that began in 2015 when four elected officials: then Muscogee County Sheriff John Darr, Countryman, Superior Court Clerk Linda Pierce, and Bishop sued the city and its top leaders over budgeting issues.

Copyright 2017 WTVM. All rights reserved. | For more news, download the WTVM app here.