http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143349,00.html

Sheriff Deploys Snipers After Firing Dozens

JONESBORO, Ga. — A newly elected sheriff who deployed snipers to the roof of his jail on his first day in office, then fired more than two dozen people, has been ordered to rehire them.

Victor Hill (search), who started as sheriff in suburban Clayton County Monday, called 27 department employees to the jail, stripped them of their guns and badges, and had his new chief deputy hand them photocopied dismissal papers.

Sheriff's department snipers stood guard on the roof of the jail as the fired workers were escorted out. Because they were no longer allowed to use their county cars, some former deputies were driven home in vans normally used to transport prisoners.

On Tuesday, a judge ordered the new sheriff to immediately rehire them.

"It appears ... that employees of the Sheriff were terminated without cause and in violation of the provisions of the Clayton County Civil Service system," Clayton Superior Court Judge Stephen Boswell (search) wrote in his order.

Hill, 39, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he fired the employees to "maintain the integrity of the department."

The firings had a racial overtone. Hill was among a spate of black candidates elected last year in the county once dominated by rural whites. The county seat, Jonesboro (search), was the setting for the fictional plantation Tara in "Gone With The Wind."

The fired sheriff's employees included four of the highest-ranking officers, all of them white. Hill told the newspaper their replacements would be black.

Hill's firings sparked outrage by another of the newly elected black officials. Eldrin Bell (search), new county commission chairman and former Atlanta police chief, called Hill's firings unlawful and filed for a 30-day restraining order, which Boswell granted Tuesday.

Hill, who also is keeping armed guards to protect him and his home, defended the tactics to the newspaper for a Monday story.

He cited the assassination four years ago of DeKalb County Sheriff Derwin Brown, another black sheriff in a nearby county who fired deputies when he took over.

"Derwin Brown sent out letters to 25 to 30 people letting them know they would not be reappointed when he took office," Hill said. "Just before he took office, he was shot and killed."

Brown was gunned down in the driveway of his home on Dec. 15, 2000, three days before he was to be sworn in.

Former DeKalb Sheriff Sidney Dorsey, who was ousted by Brown in a contentious election, was convicted of ordering the hit and sentenced to life in prison.

Hill said he posted snipers on the roof for security reasons.

Hill is a former state legislator and police detective who clashed with some county commissioners and a local police chief before running for office. While in the Georgia House, Hill unsuccessfully pushed a bill that would have put Clayton County's police operations under the command of the sheriff's department, which has 345 employees.

Hill said the firings are justified by Georgia law, which he said allows the sheriff to run his department as he sees fit.

"A lot of people are under the impression that the sheriff's office is under civil service laws," he said. "But my research shows the employees work at the pleasure of the sheriff."

------------------------

Ertman, What the hell's goin' on ovr in them thar hills a yers?

Sounds like that Sheriff is in for a R-U-D-E Awakening!

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

I can't believe the balls on that bastard.  Fire all these White Upper Eshlon and replace them with all blacks.  What was he thinking?  He needs to be removed from office.  And then people have the nuts to say that there are alot of Rasist White People in this Country.  What a crock, hell, the NAACP is one of the most rasist orginizations in this country.  I'll quit now befofe I go off on a tangent...................................... 

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

RJ - SCOUTS OUT!

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/0205/04clayton.html

Judge chastises Clayton sheriff
Rehired workers must get same jobs

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/04/05

Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill suffered a defeat Thursday in his battle with the Clayton Board of Commissioners and 27 employees he fired a month ago.

Superior Court Judge Ben Miller found the new sheriff in contempt of a Jan. 4 court order to reinstate the workers, many of them high-ranking staff members under former Sheriff Stanley Tuggle.

Hill fired the workers Jan. 3, his first day in office. He reinstated them under a judge's order but demoted them to entry-level correctional officer jobs instead of putting them back in their previous positions.

"Reinstatement means to put back where you were, and the sheriff has not done that," Miller said.

The workers filled the courtroom and erupted in applause after Miller adjourned the hearing. But some workers said they expect morale problems in the department. Four of the 27 have resigned.

"It's a step in the right direction," said Lt. Garland Watkins, an 18-year employee. "It's going to be divided, so it's going to be incumbent on the sheriff to do everything in his power to do something about it."

Hill faces a $1,000-per-day fine if the workers aren't moved back to their original positions by Feb. 14. Hill said he would comply "in a timely manner" but will appeal Miller's decision.

"We still feel we've got a right to our own administration," Hill said. "We're not going to give up."

Miller's ruling gives the workers their former jobs at least through March 24, when he will hold a hearing to decide their civil service status.

Hill maintains the sheriff's department employees aren't part of Clayton's civil service merit system and can be fired without cause. The Clayton County Commission, led by Hill's former friend and mentor Eldrin Bell, said the firings are illegal and the workers have always been protected by civil service.

Bell praised Miller's ruling. "This is a just decision, one that was granted on behalf of the taxpayers of this county," Bell said.

Maj. Larry Bartlett, a 28-year member of the department, promised the workers would "be professional."

"When Sheriff Hill was elected, we pledged that we would do our dead-level best for the sheriff as we did for the three previous sheriffs that many of us have worked for," Bartlett said.

Hill fired the workers by summoning them to the jail, stripping them of their guns and badges and handing out photocopied dismissal letters. Snipers stood guard on the roof as the workers were escorted away.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

This clown just can't stop!!

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/0205/10clayton.html

Clayton sheriff cancels shindig
Hill cites cost; lawyer claims 'retaliation'

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/10/05

Clayton County sheriff's deputies can put away their dancing shoes.

Victor Hill, the new sheriff, has canceled a "victory employee appreciation celebration" scheduled for Sunday at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. Tee Cassels, the chief deputy, organized the party so the 355 employees could enjoy steak, fish, a cash bar, music and dancing as a morale builder.

Johnny Crawford/AJC (ENLARGE)
Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill talks to a member of his staff as he sits in traffic Wednesday on Tara Boulevard.
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR

But on Wednesday, Hill said he found out the party would cost $5,000.

"I don't want to spend that type of money for a party," Hill said.

Taxpayers weren't going to finance the fun. The money would have come from an employee assistance fund, which pays for retirement parties and flowers for hospitalized employees. Employees chip in money from their own pockets.

Hill said his decision wasn't influenced by the latest broadside from Harlan Miller, a lawyer who represents 27 employees Hill fired, rehired, demoted and returned to their original jobs, all in Hill's first month in office.

Sheriff's employees were to R.S.V.P. for the party by Monday. But Miller said when his clients did so, they were told the deadline had been changed to last Friday and they wouldn't be allowed into the shindig.

Tuesday afternoon, Miller sent Hill a letter calling that "retaliation" — something U.S. District Judge Charles A. Moye told Hill he couldn't do to the employees. Moye is presiding over the employees' age, race and discrimination suit against Hill.

Hill said he never even saw Miller's letter. If the party had been cheaper to put on, everybody would have been welcome, Hill said.

"It was never to exclude anyone," Hill said.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul; the other for your freedom."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/0405/26sheriff.html

Clayton sheriff wants black judge

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/26/05

Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill wants an African-American to replace the white federal judge overseeing a discrimination case against the new sheriff.

Hill's attorneys last week filed a motion accusing Harlan Miller, the attorney for 27 employees Hill tried to fire in January, of "judge-shopping" to ensure a white judge handles the case.

U.S. District Judge Charles A. Moye Jr. has presided over the suit, in which the workers allege age, gender, racial and political discrimination by Hill. Hill is black, and most of the workers are white.

Hill attorney John Stivarius said the case originally was assigned to Judge Clarence Cooper, the only African-American judge in the northern district, but Miller dismissed and refiled the case.

"To help restore the public trust in our system and invalidate plaintiff's judge-shopping efforts, this court should reassign this case back to the Honorable Clarence Cooper," Stivarius said.

Miller said the allegation was ridiculous and insulting. In a response filed Monday, Miller said: "While this is quite disturbing, even more troublesome is that Hill's lawyers now appear to have adopted Hill's personal philosophy of crying 'racism' whenever it suits him."

It's the second time in a week that Hill's attorneys have used race as a reason to seek a judge's removal.

Last week, Hill's attorneys unsuccessfully petitioned for Superior Court Judge Ben Miller — who ruled in March that the 27 workers are civil service-protected and should not have been fired — to be removed from that case and his decision set aside.

Stivarius also filed a motion asking for Moye's permission to promote or give pay raises to six staff members, three of whom were hired by Hill. A consent order requires Hill to obtain the judge's permission before making personnel moves while the discrimination case continues.

Hill also wants to fire Lt. Leontyne Daniel — one of the plaintiffs in the discrimination suit — for insubordination.