EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. -- A controversial lawsuit brought by two El Dorado County sheriff's deputies against a widow may have some new developments.

None of the people involved in the lawsuit would to talk publicly about the case because of the sensitivity of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

However, KCRA 3 has learned from multiple sources that in a matter of days the lawsuit may be resolved and the whole legal matter may disappear. But serious questions about the two law enforcement officers who filed this lawsuit may remain.

The controversy stems from June 2007 when an El Dorado County man killed his father and then shot three deputies before being killed.

Two of those law officers are now suing the mother of the shooter for negligence and asking for more than $38 million in damages.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office Detective John Yaws told KCRA 3 repeatedly that his attorney would not let him talk about the lawsuit in any way.

The multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by investigator Greg Murphy and Yaws has some county residents questioning their credibility.

In the lawsuit, the law officers claim they suffered "severe mental and emotional distress" that was so "extreme" that it will last into the future.

KCRA 3 has confirmed that the sheriff's department required both of these men to undergo extensive psychological examination before being allowed to return to work.

"If you have law officers saying under oath that they have emotional distress so much that they can't do their job and the agency has authorized them to come back to work, it calls into question their credibility," former federal prosecutor Johnny Griffin said

"I mean, what will they do in another shooting? If they are so emotionally distressed, are they going to shoot wildly or are they going to run?" resident James Riordan said.

The El Dorado County sheriff declined comment Friday, and instead referred a letter in which the sheriff called this lawsuit an "embarrassment."

Another issue raised by this lawsuit is the issue of liability. Some legal experts told KCRA 3 that the fact that the law officers claim to be suffering emotional and mental distress could potentially expose the county to a lawsuit if the law officers are involved in any type of questionable shooting while on duty in the future.

A court date scheduled in two weeks. However, a settlement could bring the lawsuit to a close before that date.