A Somerset County Prosecutor's Office detective claimed that evidence was mishandled in the high-profile case.
SOMERVILLE -- A Somerset County judge dismissed a whistle-blower lawsuit that claimed a detective was transferred because he alleged that evidence had been mishandled and thrown out in the 2014 death investigation of Cooper University Health System CEO John Sheridan and his wife, Joyce.
The ruling is the latest development in the high-profile case and the disputed conclusions by the the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, in which it was determined that John Sheridan killed his wife, set fire to the couple's master bedroom in Montgomery Township, and then committed suicide by stabbing himself.
The couple's four sons have long challenged the prosecutor's office ruling and have fought to have their father's name cleared.
In a ruling issued on Friday, Somerset County Superior Court Judge Yolanda Ciccone dismissed the lawsuit claiming that Det. Jeffery Scozzafava was retaliated against for coming forth with information on the alleged mishandling of evidence.
David Zatuchni, the lawyer for Scozzafava, was unavailable for comment. He told philly.com that he plans to appeal Ciccone's decision.
Scozzafava, who still works for the prosecutor's office, alleged that he was removed from the county's elite forensic team and moved to the less-desirable fugitive squad because of his actions.
Among other things, Zatuchni alleged that in retaliation for his actions, Scozzafava's overtime opportunities have been drastically reduced. After earning $2,136; $2,780; and $1,686.00 from 2012 to 2014 in overtime, respectively, he earned just $547 in overtime in 2015.
Jack Bennett, spokesman for the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, declined comment on the ruling. Leland Moore, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office that oversees prosecutors, couldn't be reached for comment.
Sheridan criticism leads to ouster of prosecutor
As previously reported by NJ Advance Media, the Sheridans' four sons - Mark, Matt, Dan, and Tim - believe that Somerset authorities conducted a shoddy investigation and interpreted the evidence to support their conclusion.
The sons have challenged the findings and have asked the state medical examiner to overturn the suicide ruling. Their request has been pending for more than a year.
In June, Somerville attorney Charles Schalk, representing the prosecutor's office, requested the dismissal, arguing that although Scozzafava was reassigned, he was not demoted or otherwise negatively impacted.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.