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Jury deliberates in trial of suspended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill
Prosecutors say Victor Hill violated detainees' rights with his use of restraint chairs. Hill testified and stood by his use of the chairs.
ATLANTA - Jurors will continue deliberations Monday in the federal trial of suspended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill.
Federal prosecutors allege Hill violated the Constitutional rights of pre-trial detainees inside the jail between December 2019 and May 2020. All seven of the alleged victims were held in restraint chairs for four hours, sometimes even longer. One of them testified it felt "like torture."
The prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments Friday morning.
"This wasn't about maintaining order," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bret Hobson. "This was about punishing and bullying detainees."
Prosecutors said Sheriff Hill violated his own policy, which explains that restraint chairs should only be used for detainees who have "demonstrated violent or uncontrollable behavior" or "to prevent inmate self-injury, injury to others or property damage."
During the trial, they played video that showed one of the detainees, Glenn Howell, sitting on a bench in the jail's intake area unsupervised. Jail staff testified they would not have left Howell alone if they viewed him as a threat.
PROSECUTION RESTS IN TRIAL OF SUSPENDED CLAYTON COUNTY SHERIFF VICTOR HILL
Hill's defense team, however, said the detainees had exhibited violent or uncontrollable behavior before they arrived at the jail or displayed what Sheriff Hill called "pre-attack indicators" that showed they could act out.
"The totality of the circumstances is critical," argued Drew Findling, one of Hill's defense attorneys. He urged jurors not to "second-guess" Sheriff Hill's instincts after decades of law enforcement experience.
Findling also questioned the detainees' claims of pain and injury because the prosecution did not have any doctors testify.
"All of these witnesses have a history of lying that has been exposed," said Findling.
"You don't need a doctor to tell you these men suffered terrible pain," countered Hobson.
SUSPENDED CLAYTON COUNTY SHERIFF VICTOR HILL TAKES THE STAND IN FEDERAL TRIAL
Around 4:30 Friday afternoon jurors notified Judge Eleanor Ross that they were divided and asked to go home for the weekend. They will resume deliberations on Monday.