Former Ga. sheriff sentenced to prison

Convicted of violating civil rights of people in custody

Kate Brumback

ATLANTA – A former Georgia sheriff convicted of violating the civil rights of people in his custody by unnecessarily strapping them into restraint chairs was sentenced Tuesday to serve a year and a half in prison.

A jury in October convicted Victor Hill – who was sheriff of Clayton County, just south of Atlanta – on six of seven federal charges. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of three years and 10 months in prison, while defense attorneys asked for a sentence of probation, home confinement and a fine.

Before he was sentenced, Hill told the judge: “My intent was never to harm or injure anybody. My intent was only for safety, proactive safety.”

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ordered Hill to serve six years under supervision once he’s released. During that period, he must perform 100 hours of community service and cannot work in law enforcement or serve as a consultant to a law enforcement agency.

Hill will remain free on bond until the Bureau of Prisons orders him to report.

His trial included about a week of testimony from more than three dozen witnesses, including the men who were restrained. Prosecutors said Hill ordered detainees strapped into restraint chairs at the county jail for hours even though they posed no threat and complied with deputies’ instructions. The use of the chairs was unnecessary, was improperly used as punishment and caused pain and bodily injury in violation of the civil rights of seven men, prosecutors argued.

Defense attorneys argued that Hill legally used the restraint chairs to keep order at the jail and didn’t overstep his lawful authority. They also argued that he had no warning that such conduct could be considered criminal.

Defense attorneys submitted letters from supporters – family members, clergy and Clayton County citizens – attesting to Hill’s character, and four people at the sentencing asked the judge to show leniency.

A man who had been jailed in Clayton County said the structure and discipline imposed by Hill helped him kick a drug addiction and get his life in order. The current Clayton County sheriff said Hill had been a mentor to him. A jail chaplain said the jail was clean and well run and the county was safe when Hill was sheriff. A longtime friend and employee called Hill a great leader, a great educator and a great defender of victims’ rights.

Prosecutor Brent Gray, reacting to witness statements that the jail was spotless during Hill’s tenure, told the judge: “The jail might have been clean, but the Constitution wasn’t being respected in that jail at all.”

Hill