(CN) - A Florida Court Clerk arrested on charges petty theft last fall following an investigation of a nude photo shoot at the Jefferson County Courthouse is suing the state government to get his job back.
As recounted in a federal complaint filed in Tallahassee, Florida on Tuesday, Kirk Reams was suspended without pay from his courthouse job on Oct. 18, 2017, after investigators concluded he lent his girlfriend an unused county-owned laptop for her personal use.
Investigators also concluded Reams improperly used his position to gain access to the county courthouse after hours in February 2013 to take naked pictures of his girlfriend in a judge's chambers.
The state offered Reams the chance to resign in exchange for the dropping of the charges against him, but the clerk demanded a trial instead.
In January, a Jefferson County jury found him not guilty of the petty theft charge, returning its verdict in less than 15 minutes. He was never charged with a crime in connection with the nude photo shoot.
In his lawsuit, Reams says Florida Governor Rick Scott refuses to reinstate him despite the not guilty verdict.
Further, the suit says that the state Senate took no action regarding his reinstatement during the 60-day legislative session that ended last week.
As result, he had no hope of getting his job back unless a special session of the legislature is called and decides to take up his fate.
Barring that, the lawsuit claims, Reams may have to wait until May 2019 to have his due process hearing before the state Senate.
Reams seeks declaratory and injunctive relief.
Representatives of the parties could not immediately be reached for comment.
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