Former Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie filed a lawsuit against Council President Patrick Vincenti last week, seeking a return to the council and an injunction restraining Vincenti from what Guthrie sees as interfering with his performance of official duties.

Guthrie’s attorneys, former Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler and former Deputy Attorney General J.B. Howard, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Harford County.

Vincenti ordered for Guthrie to be removed from the council based on what the lawsuit said is a false claim that Guthrie entered a plea of no contest to a felony theft charge during a court hearing Nov. 14. Guthrie, 86, who has served on the council for 14 years, was charged with felony theft after he was accused of stealing between $5,000 and $25,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Local 1501 between Oct. 1, 2017, and Sept. 30, 2021. He has since paid back over $23,000 in restitution. The lawsuit stated that Guthrie did not enter a plea of no contest — formally known as a plea of nolo contendere — to the charge because the judge in the case did not consent to Guthrie entering the plea. According to a transcript from Guthrie’s hearing in the Baltimore County Circuit Court, Judge Dennis M. Robinson Jr. struck Guthrie’s plea of nolo contendere, along with the guilty verdict, and granted him probation before judgment.

“Mr. Guthrie is 86 years old without any prior criminal record which, from where I’m sitting and where I sit on a daily basis, is somewhat unusual. It is also important to note that Guthrie has paid restitution already,” Robinson said. “For those reasons I’m going to strike the guilty plea — or strike the plea, the nolo contendere plea. I am going to strike the guilty verdict and I’m going to grant the defendant Probation Before Judgement.”

Hours after Guthrie’s hearing, Harford County Council Attorney Meaghan Alegi sent Guthrie a letter informing him that “effective immediately,” he was removed from his seat on the council.

Alegi’s letter cited a portion of the state constitution that dictates “any elected official of the state or of a county … who during the elected official’s term of office entered a guilty plea or a plea of nolo contendere to any crime which is a felony or which is a misdemeanor related to the elected official’s public duties and responsibilities and involves moral turpitude … shall be removed from the elective office by operation of law and the office shall be deemed vacant.”

But the lawsuit says, “Contrary to Mr. Vincenti’s malicious assertion, the provision of the Maryland Constitution under which a public official is removed from office by operation of law upon entering a plea of nolo contendere does not apply here.”

In a response to Alegi’s letter, Guthrie told The Aegis he was prepared to sue over his removal, which led to the Harford County Council opting to hire outside legal counsel in preparation for a lawsuit.

Vincenti did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Alegi and Vincenti have since stood confident in the decision to unseat Guthrie, as his nameplate in the council chambers has been removed, as well as his online profile, an image of him and the rest of the council, and his contact information from the county’s website.

“[The] Defendant is interfering with Mr. Guthrie’s performance of his duties as a duly elected member of the Harford County Council by falsely claiming that that Mr. Guthrie has been removed from office and by unilaterally taking steps to terminate his ability to function as a council member,” the lawsuit reads. The lawsuit says Guthrie’s removal stems from Vincenti’s “personal animus” toward him.

“Mr. Vincenti has acted on the basis of his incorrect assertion and prevented Mr. Guthrie from carrying out his duties,” the suit reads. “As a result of Mr. Vincenti’s illegal acts, Mr. Guthrie has been irreparably harmed because he has been hindered in carrying out the duties he was elected by his constituents to perform.”

Council members are scheduled to meet Tuesday to vote on legislation like a bill to increase impact fees in the county — something Guthrie was in favor of.

The lawsuit, citing Tuesday’s meeting, said Guthrie’s absence is a disservice to the over 40,000 constituents he serves in District A, which has more low-income and minority constituents than other districts.

“Defendants actions have thus harmed Mr. Guthrie and needlessly imperiled the public interest in service of defendant’s personal animus toward Mr. Guthrie,” the lawsuit reads.

Prior to his removal, Guthrie was also involved in the county’s rezoning process with his district having the most applications for rezoning than any other district.

Applicants, along with residents awaiting projects Guthrie was working on like a multimillion-dollar community center and widening of a neighborhood road, were stated in the lawsuit to “rely” on Guthrie to “represent their concerns.”

“Unless Mr. Guthrie is permitted to resume his duties as a member of the council, these initiatives will likely grind to a halt,” the suit says. “Without an injunction, Mr. Guthrie will suffer the irreparable harm of being prevented from carrying out the duties which he was elected by his constituents to perform.”

Guthrie’s lawsuit requests that the court enter a judgment declaring he did not enter a plea of nolo contendere and remains in office, restraining Vincenti from claiming Guthrie had been removed from office and otherwise “interfering with Guthrie’s performance of his official duties,” and granting any other relief the court deems proper.

The Harford County Democratic Central Committee has since opened applications for Democratic residents of District A interested in filling Guthrie’s now-vacant seat on the council. Should Guthrie’s termination stand, the committee aims to have a new member appointed by Jan. 13.

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.