Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill found guilty on 6 of 7 federal charges

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A federal jury has found Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill guilty of violating the civil rights of jail inmates.

Hill was found guilty on six of his seven charges, according to a news release.

The jury began deliberations Friday afternoon and reached a verdict Wednesday afternoon.

Sheriff Hill was suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp after he was arrested in April of 2021 for allegedly violating the civil rights of inmates in the Clayton County Jail, a facility he has dubbed “Georgia’s toughest para-military jail.”

The indictment alleges that Hill, without any legal justification, ordered his employees to strap the detainees into a restraint chair and keep them there for hours in violation of their constitutional rights.

The indictment further alleges that Hill deprived the detainees of their due process rights because such use of force was unreasonable, amounted to punishment, and caused the detainees physical pain and bodily injury.

“While the vast majority of our law enforcement officers perform their duties bravely, professionally, and with honor, those few who abuse their power must be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.

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