PC Sheriff’s Office to be dropped from Lawsuit

Recently, various news outlets have reported on a lawsuit filed in the 13th Judicial Court of Common Pleas against Pickens County that alleges improper supervision and conduct of inmate trustees at Mile Creek Park in Six Mile. Details from those news stories also indicated that the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office was being named in the litigation for various reasons due to the inmates were from the Pickens County Detention Center, which is under the supervision and control of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. Upon learning of these allegations, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office immediately contacted the law firm representing the plaintiff in this case and informed them that at no time were any inmate trustees from the Pickens County Detention Center ever assigned to perform any duties at Mile Creek Park. Furthermore, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office never entered into any such agreement as alleged with any other county department as stated in the lawsuit. Inmates assigned to the detention center do not perform any work assignments offsite from the Law Enforcement Center. After consulting with the attorney for the plaintiff, it has been determined that the allegation is directed towards the Pickens County Prison commonly referred to as the Stockade and not the Pickens County Detention Center. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office does not manage any of the operations, the staff or the inmate population at the Pickens County Prison and the county employees assigned to that facility are not employees of the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office has been informed by White, Davis and White Law Firm in Anderson that the pending lawsuit will be amended and all allegations against the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office will be removed.