GREENVILLE — Alton Mayor David Goins won a court ruling Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, allowing City Attorney Rodney Caffey and Planning and Development Director Greg Caffey to continue working until the case is resolved.
Judge Christopher Bauer considered Goins’s original motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in the case of Goins vs. the City of Alton at the Bond County Courthouse in Greenville and ruled in the mayor’s favor on Oct 9, 2026.
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Both sides presented their arguments in front of Judge Bauer on Friday.
Goins said the judge announced that another hearing will be held in December of 2026 for a declaratory judgment in the case.
“I support the decision of the court today in Bond County on the case,” Goins said. “It is still in litigation, but this ruling crosses a major hurdle.”
The ruling marks a final decision on the city’s motion to dissolve the TRO previously secured by Goins in July of 2026. The city’s legal counsel previously argued the mayor was not entitled to protections under the order after signing two challenged ordinances into law.
The ordinances in question resulted in two city employees being ousted from their positions before their terms expired, including City Attorney Rodney Caffey and Planning Director Greg Caffey. They also imposed new billing transparency requirements on the city attorney.
Both Caffeys joined as plaintiffs in the case after a consolidated motion was granted on Sept. 1, 2026, which states both Caffeys were “unlawfully removed from their respective positions” prior to Goins securing the TRO.
Following Judge Bauer’s ruling in the mayor’s favor, the terms of the TRO will stand and both Caffeys will remain reinstated in their positions with the city pending further court proceedings. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for the latest coverage as the case proceeds through the courts.
The case management conference in the case is now slated for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026.
