A suit brought by Coaldale Police officers against the borough three years ago has been resurrected, thanks to a state appeals court.

The Commonwealth Court recently ordered that Schuylkill County reopen the lawsuit filed by Coaldale patrolmen Keith Krapf, Charles Blesse and Todd Weiss in 2012.The suit revolves around whether borough council was acting in "bad faith" when it decided to eliminate three full-time police officers in February 2012.The borough's attorneys have maintained the furlough was for financial reasons, while the officers say they were the subject of a vendetta perpetuated by the then-mayor and a member of council.A Schuylkill County Common Pleas Court Judge dismissed the case in July 2015, before it could go to trial. Krapf, Blesse and Weiss were reinstated in 2014. Krapf is being considered to become the borough's next full-time police chief.The suit was filed after the borough furloughed the three full-time officers in February 2012, leaving only a full-time chief and eight part-time officers.Council members testified that they were told the borough's financial situation at the time necessitated a cut in its police budget.The officers argued that despite their furlough, the department's budget remained about the same. They said some part-time officers even received a bump in their hours and pay. Krapf and Blesse testified that they believed there was a vendetta against the former full-time officers. Krapf said that two borough officials at the time, Mayor Richard Corkery and David Yelito, held a grudge against him because Krapf had arrested Corkery and Yelito's girlfriend in separate incidents.Weiss testified that he believed it stemmed from the officer's' decision to reject a contract that would have reduced their pay.Their supervisor, then-chief Timothy Delaney, testified that he believed the furloughs were executed because it was the only way for borough officials to get away from Krapf. A part-time officer supported those claims, saying that Corkery told him directly he wanted to get rid of Krapf.A Common Pleas court judge dismissed the officers' case in July of last year. He determined that the officers' case was based on speculation, and formed from personal opinions.The officers appealed the suit to Commonwealth Court, which issued a decision May 2. The Commonwealth Court overturned the Common Pleas' Court's decision, and ordered them to reopen the case. The next date in that case has not been determined.After being reinstated in 2014, the three officers continue to work for the borough. Krapf is the department's officer in charge. Corkery and Yelito were voted out in 2013. At the time, Corkery was facing child pornography charges, which he was later found guilty of. He is currently incarcerated.Krapf's wife, Angela Krapf, was elected to the council in 2013.