Queen Anne's Sheriff Sued, Accused Of Retaliation

CENTREVILLE, Md. (AP) -- The sheriff of Queen Anne's County is accused of retaliating against a female deputy who accused his brother of sexually assaulting her.

Kristy Lynn Murphy-Taylor, a former sheriff's deputy, is seeking more than $10 million in damages in a lawsuit filed against Sheriff Gary Hofmann.

Murphy-Taylor alleges in the suit that she was dismissed from her job after accusing Hofmann's brother, John, of inappropriately touching as the two were together in a department vehicle. John Hofmann was a sheriff's deputy at the time.

Court records show that Hofmann pleaded guilty in May 2011 to second-degree assault and was ordered to have no contact with Murphy-Taylor. He received probation before judgment.

Capt. Brian Smith declined to comment to The Capital of Annapolis on a lawsuit he said he hadn't seen.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)