The swift firing of 17-year veteran Deputy Josh Woods for an off-duty DUI, as announced by Sheriff Tommy Jones, creates a clear contrast with the handling of other high-profile, and arguably more severe, alleged misconduct cases involving jail staff.
This discrepancy provides Deputy Woods with a strong argument that the sheriff's discipline was arbitrary and capricious, or motivated by factors other than the severity of the offense.
The core of a selective enforcement lawsuit would rely on showing that the disciplinary action against Deputy Woods was an Equal Protection Violation under the Fourteenth Amendment—specifically, that he was treated differently from similarly situated employees for improper reasons.
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The argument rests on the objectively higher severity of the offenses committed by the staff retained (or disciplined less severely) in the Isbill case versus an off-duty DUI.
Disciplinary Handling--Nurse Courtney Woods--Criminally Negligent Homicide (charged) related to an in-custody death.Terminated, but only after the severity of the death came to light.
Officer Tyler Finger--Official Misconduct (charged), had a prior history of termination from another agency over sexual assault claims (documented in personnel files). Resigned in May 2025, but was hired in August 2023 despite the prior history and was disciplined earlier.
Officer Tommy Reagan--Official Misconduct (charged), disciplined for falsifying restraint chair logs related to the death. Was suspended for only three days without pay for the falsified logs before later being placed on paid suspension.
Deputy Josh Woods--Off-duty Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and crash. Fired immediately (Nov 2025).
The rapid, decisive termination of Deputy Woods for an off-duty DUI allows Sheriff Jones to project an image of strict accountability to the public. This serves as a significant public relations win and is seen as a political stunt to improve the sheriff's image following the severe scrutiny and indictments stemming from the Isbill case.
