The U.S. Department of Justice last Wednesday asked Ohio's Southern District Court to allow it to be made a party in a case alleging that deputies at Franklin County jails "break the law and violate inmates' civil rights with excessive stun-gun use, including routinely using stun guns on inmates who are disabled, pregnant or under the influence of drugs or alcohol," USAToday reported this morning. ( Motion )
A lawsuit, filed back in July by current & former inmates, asks for class action status and both compensatory and punitive damages. In paperwork filed last Monday the DOJ told the Court that under the Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act, "the United States had an interest in civil litigations wherein private plaintiffs seek to suppress widespread practices of unconstitutional conduct by law enforcement officials through injunctive relief & prospective monitoring. A private litigant's request for an injunction & monitor that could also be obtained by the United States under the Act implicated the United States' interest and expertise in ensuring that the scope of the relief requested is adequate to eliminate the unconstitutional practices alleged."
The Washington Post has more here
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