MACHIAS – A former Washington County Sheriff’s deputy has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against a fellow deputy, the deputy’s father and a Maine Drug Enforcement agent, alleging they took his political signs.

Former deputy Jeffrey Bishop of Cherryfield also alleges in his lawsuit that he was libeled and defamed by statements made by Rodney Merritt of East Machias, a corporal with the Washington County Sheriff’s office.

The case developed after a three-way race for sheriff in June in which Merritt defeated Bishop and another candidate. Bishop filed his lawsuit on Oct. 26.

Although a settlement appeared to be in the offing, Merritt’s attorney, Norman Toffolon of Machias, said Thursday that the lawsuit was proceeding.

Bishop’s attorney, Donald Brown of Brewer, was in court Friday and unable to return a telephone call.

In the lawsuit, Bishop charged that Merritt and his father, Walter Merritt of Addison, and MDEA Agent Richard Rolfe of Machias took his campaign signs without permission. He is asking the court to award him money for, among other things, injury to his property and damage to his reputation.

Walter and Rodney Merritt and Rolfe deny the allegations.

While the lawsuit is moving through the civil process, a criminal charge against Bishop is moving through the court system. Bishop was charged with criminal mischief and theft after he allegedly took signs belonging to Merritt.

In June, a Maine State Police trooper saw campaign signs floating in the Narraguagus River, below the bridge in Cherryfield where Bishop had parked his truck. The biggest sign in the water belonged to Rodney Merritt.

According to a story in the Bangor Daily News in June, Bishop and Merritt had talked about helping each other remove their signs from around the county. Merritt had, in fact, collected about 70 of Bishop’s signs as he went around to take down his own. Candidates have 10 days after an election to remove all their signs. Friday, June 23, was the 10th day. That Merritt’s sign went from the back of Bishop’s pickup truck into the water was Bishop’s undoing. Trooper Alden Bustard pulled up when he saw Bishop at the bridge.

“It was unprofessional and childish, what I did,” Bishop told the Bangor Daily News in June. “I know I shouldn’t have done it. I have no excuses, but I have my reasons.”

District Attorney Michael Povich said Friday that Bishop’s case was pending in Washington County Superior Court. He said he expects it will go to trial next year.

Although the lawsuit deals with the issue of the campaign signs, the lengthiest part of the lawsuit deals with the issue of libel, defamation and invasion of privacy.

In the lawsuit, Bishop alleges that Rodney Merritt defamed him by communicating false information to the public regarding Bishop’s employment qualifications and performance.

The lawsuit also alleges that Rodney Merritt made false statements about Bishop “to a third person in a manner that caused the publication of the statement to a third person.” The lawsuit didn’t elaborate on how that publication may have been made or what statements had been made.

Bishop alleges that Rodney Merritt made statements to law enforcement officers “regarding unauthorized taking” that were not true.

Bishop also alleges that the corporal made statements that suggested that Bishop was “dishonest in his business dealings.”

Addressing the allegation of invasion of privacy, Bishop alleges that Rodney Merritt placed Bishop before the public in a “false light” that was highly offensive.

Bishop is asking the judge to award him compensation for his monetary losses, injury to his property and damage to his reputation.