FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Attorneys representing several people hurt or killed at the Fulton County Jail have filed a class action lawsuit against the jail, the chief jailer and Sheriff Pat Labat.
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“The time for talking is over,” attorney Michael Harper said. “We want a federal judge to declare that the Fulton County Jail is treating its detainees in an unconstitutional manner. The declarative relief is meant to fix the condition of the jail.”
The lead class action plaintiffs include Shannon Jackson, who was stabbed while in jail during the YSL trial and another detainee who suffered severe scarring from a bed bug infection.
The injuries were so graphic, that the images had to be blurred for TV.
Harper said he also filed a separate lawsuit for Dayvion Blake’s estate.
Last year a detainee killed Blake inside the jail.
“They were able to get to his jail because of non-working locks and stab him in his back,” Harper said.
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Last month Channel 2 Action News told you about a DOJ investigation that determined, the jail violated the constitutional rights of its detainees.
Thursday Channel 2’s Audrey Washington reached out to the sheriff’s office for comment about the class action lawsuit.
They said they could not comment because the office had not reviewed the lawsuit yet.
Last month Labat addressed issues at the jail.
“These are fixable opportunities and that is what our plan is as we move forward,” Labat said.
“We need change in Fulton County,” Harper said.
Attorneys are now awaiting certification from a federal judge before others can join the class action lawsuit.
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