Deputy Sheriff Civil Rights Violation

On September 24, 2009, the U. S. Deaprtment of Justice (”DOJ”) issued a Press Release announcing that a former Choctaw County, Oklahoma deputy sheriff was found guilty by a federal jury in Muskogee, Oklahoma of violating the civil rights of three men by assaulting them without legal justification.  See, http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/September/09-crt-1025.html .  According to the DOJ Press Release, in one incident, which took place in October of 2005, the former deputy sheriff physically abused a truck driver following a traffic stop, and, in a second incident, which occurred during October of 2007, the former deputy sheriff assaulted two inmates at the Choctaw County Jail.  As described in the Press Release, the former deputy sheriff was convicted on three counts of violating the civil rights of his victims and two counts of falsifying official reports.  The DOJ stated that he faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for each civil rights offense and 20 years for each obstruction offense.  Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King was quoted in the Press Release as saying that the DOJ will continue to prosecute vigorously law enforcement officers who violate the public trust.