Houston Civil Rights Violation Claim

In a March 6, 2009 U. S. Department of Justice (”DOJ”) Press Release, the DOJ announced that federal authorities have unsealed an indictment which charges two Houston County deputy sheriffs with civil rights violations related to an alleged assault of an individual in the Davy Crockett National Forest near Crockett, Texas.  See, http://dallas.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/dl030609.htm .  According to the Press Release, the two Houston County law enforcement officers, Henry D. Gresham, Jr. and Charles J. Clark, were indicted on March 4, 2009.  In this regard, the indictment alleges that on July 11, 2008, while acting as Houston County law enforcement officials, the men reportedly went to Gresham’s residence, verbally and physically assaulted an individual, and then transported him in a county-owned vehicle to the Davy Crockett National Forest.  As referenced in the Press Release, Clark allegedly discharged a taser into the victim during the drive, and, after arriving in the national forest, the victim was allegedly assaulted again, including being struck in the head with a firearm, knocked to the ground and kicked before the deputies abandoned him.  The law enforcement officers were charged with conspiracy and violation of civil rights as well as assaulting the victim on federal land with a firearm, according to the Press Release.  As noted by the DOJ in the Press Release, an indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.