A former Santa Rosa police captain whose four-year wrongful termination suit so far has cost the city nearly $1 million has won a round in federal court. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back for further hearings, ruling that a federal judge improperly ordered Jamie Mitchel to pay some of the city’s legal costs.

A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former Santa Rosa police Capt. Jamie Mitchel, once the No. 2 officer in the police department. The judge ordered Mitchel to pay the city’s legal costs for fighting the allegations against him.