JONESBORO, Ga. — Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill should be sitting in a federal prison in Arkansas Monday. 11Alive is working to confirm his booking status. This would start the first day of his 18-month prison sentence.
A jury found Hill guilty last year on six of seven federal abuse charges for ordering inmates to be held in restraint chairs for hours.
Hill can't run for sheriff again, but Atlanta-based trial lawyer Tom Church said he can still run for some elected offices, and he may not end up serving his full federal prison sentence.
The suspended former sheriff will walk the halls of a federal prison as an inmate.
“It doesn't matter how many votes you get or how many terms you win. No one is above the law," Church said.
Church, who specializes in federal criminal law, said we shouldn't see Hill in an elected role on the state level ever again.
“Traditionally in Georgia, you can't run for sheriff or any other civil office if you've been convicted of a crime that has moral turpitude, a felony of moral turpitude," Church added.
Church said moral turpitude is a crime that's immoral, indecent, and against the norms of society.
“Is that a felony conviction of moral turpitude? I think ultimately the answer would be yes, and he would be disqualified from serving under Georgia office, but he could certainly fight about it if he wanted to, and a court would have to listen," Church said.
Church did say nothing in the U.S. Constitution stops a convicted felon from running for a federal office.
“He could run for president if he wants to. Whether he'd have the votes is another question," Church said. "He could certainly run for a representative that covers the Clayton County area. He's very popular there still.”
Hill posted a video to social media Monday showing him boarding a private plane to begin serving his 18-month sentence.
Church said parole doesn't exist in federal prison, but Hill could still get out early.
“Good time credit, which means if you're on good behavior, you can shave 15% of your sentence off. Then, you're released for about six months to 12 months for home confinement or a halfway house, and then you can also take programs that further reduce your time," Church said.
It's possible Hill may only serve six of his 18-month sentence, according to Church.
“I think that we haven't seen the last of Victor Hill," Church said. "He got a lot of power for a long time, and generally speaking, when someone has to give up the throne and give up the crown, they tend to seek getting it back somehow.”
Hill is also required to serve six years of supervised probation and pay $600. His attorneys are in the process of appealing his conviction.