Victor Hill pleads not guilty to latest charges of civil rights violations

ATLANTA — Suspended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill has pleaded not guilty to the latest round of charges he’s facing after he was accused of abuses involving a chair used to restrain prisoners in the Clayton County Jail.

Hill was in federal court Thursday after a new indictment was handed down against him in late July. It charged Hill with violating the civil rights of detainees.

The grand jury had previously indicted Hill on four counts of violating detainees’ civil rights in April. Hill has pleaded not guilty to those charges also.

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Hill was not in court Thursday with his attorney Drew Findling, who entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.

Following Hill’s initial indictment, federal agents said Hill ordered personnel at the Clayton County Jail to strap four prisoners into restraint chairs as punishment.

“Hill deprived the detainees of their due process rights because the use of such force is unreasonable and unnecessary and amounted to punishment,” acting U.S. Attorney Kurk Erskine said at the time.

Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Hill in June following the recommendations of a task force formed to determine whether Sheriff Hill should be allowed to remain in office.

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