Some time near the end of the year Mickey Sterling will finally learn whether he gets his old job back as a police officer in Port Arthur.

Testimony concluded on Tuesday in the arbitration hearing after a total of 11 days spread out since November.

“They fired Mickey Sterling for allegedly not making a report and for being untruthful when he said he made the report,” Bob Thomas, attorney for Sterling, said after the case was closed.

The report in question was found on a secure computer file at the police department back in March. Thomas contends the city failed to disclose they had had the document and only learned of its existence when they went in search of it.

The document is an offense report filed by Sterling in December 2015, which states he was the victim of credit card/debit card fraud and included a summary of the incident.

In previous testimony, Dave Mai, who is employed with the city’s police department in information technology, said he was told by Major Michael Fratus not to worry about the report because Sterling was no longer an employee of the city.

Thomas later called interim chief John Owens to the stand where, Thomas said, Owens explained how he was accused of corruption, was exonerated and later hired back and appointed interim chief with the departure of former chief Patrick Melvin.

Owens was in the group of five officers who were suspended or fired for possible corruption. Two retired, Owens and another officer were exonerated and Sterling’s fate remains unknown at this time.

Thomas said that Owens, while under oath, said Melvin was a liar. Owens also testified to the reputation of Sterling saying he is truthful.

Melvin was present at the proceedings Tuesday, which was the first time since May he has been seen in public in Port Arthur.

The next step

The court reporter now has two weeks to conclude her portion of the case and Thomas, as well as the city’s attorney, Bettye Lynn, has nine weeks to write their briefs and turn them in to the arbitrator, Don B. Hays. After that, the arbitrator has his own timetable in which to make decision, pushing the date toward the end of the year.