Clayton County Sheriff’s Office lawyer wants Victor Hill suspension overturned

Clayton County Sheriff's Office attorney Alan Parker has asked Gov. Brian Kemp to reconsider the suspension of Sheriff Victor Hill.

Clayton County Sheriff's Office attorney Alan Parker has asked Gov. Brian Kemp to reconsider the suspension of Sheriff Victor Hill.

The attorney for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office is asking Gov. Brian Kemp to overturn his decision to suspend Victor Hill.

In a letter posted to the Clayton’s Sheriff’s Office Nixle social media page over the weekend, the department’s legal advisor Alan Parker said Kemp was provided erroneous and incomplete information by a three-panel commission when he made his decision to suspend Hill last month.

Kemp in May appointed the commission -- made up of two Georgia sheriffs and state Attorney General Chris Carr -- to determine if a recent federal indictment against Hill would impact the sheriff’s ability to do his job. The indictment alleges Hill violated the civil rights of detainees at the jail, a charge the sheriff denies.

“The commission did not call any witnesses and only took into consideration what the federal indictment stated, which was grossly inaccurate,” Parker posted to Nixle Saturday.

He also said a leak of some of the investigation’s findings was illegal and could taint a potential jury pool. Hill’s personal attorney Drew Findling asserted similar concerns earlier in the month and called on the governor to investigate.

“As a result, the information that they released illegally took information from the indictment and provided a report to you that was riddled with inaccuracies,” Parker said in his letter to Kemp. “In failing to conduct a complete and thorough investigation, they did a disservice not only to you, but also to the citizens of Clayton County.