A summary judgment by a US District Court judge has cleared the Mocksville town manager and former police chief of any wrongdoing from the firing of police officers on Dec. 29, 2011. The order from Judge Catherine C. Eagles issued Sept. 16 read, in part: • all claims against the individual defendants are dismissed; • the §1983 claim against the town is dismissed; • all punitive damage claims are dismissed; and • state law claims against the town may proceed to trial. “It’s what we expected and we’re very pleased with the order,” said Town Attorney Hank Van Hoy. “The only claim left is a state claim against the town for wrongful discharge, which the town denies and will defend against vigorously.” The fired officers: Ken Hunter, Rick Donathan and Jerry Medlin claimed they were fired after reporting unlawful and unethical conduct within the department, including racism and favoritism. There were more specific claims against then police chief Robert Cook that he had impersonated a police officer and used racial epithets. There were meetings between Town Manager Christine Bralley (who hired Cook), those and other officers prior to their dismissal, according to a lawsuit they filed. The lawsuit had asked that the officers be re-instated, compensatory damages in excess of …