FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill, who in his position made himself into one of metro Atlanta's most influential and towering local political figures, will spend 18 months in prison after a federal sentencing on Tuesday.
He will also undergo six years of supervised probation as part of his sentence. He was also required to pay $600.
A jury found Hill guilty last year on six of the seven federal abuse charges for ordering inmates to be held in restraint chairs for hours with apparently no provocation.
"Some accountability is better than no accountability," said Clayton county resident Cleveland Jackson. He said former Sheriff Victor Hill will finally pay for violating his civil rights when he was detained in Clayton County jail.
Hill’s attorney, Drew Findling, said the sentence is better than the 46 months, recommended by the prosecutors.
“The judge coming down to 18 months and the things that she said was a clear recognition of the uniqueness of this case, this case is a case of first impression in the United States of America,” said Findling.
Hill was accused of violating the constitutional rights of seven Clayton County Jail inmates by forcing them into restraint chairs for hours at a time with little provocation. Hill told the jury he did it to maintain order in the jail.
He had testified in his own defense, telling jurors that inmates strapped to a chair were chosen because of the totality of their behavior, not just their behavior in the jail. Prosecutors said that's against the law, and painted a picture of a climate of abusive excesses at the Clayton County Jail.
Many of Hill's top staff testified during the trial, "not a single law enforcement officer gave any reason to put these people in the chair – except the sheriff told me to do it," assistant U.S. attorney Brent Gray told jurors.
After the sentencing, Hill's attorney announced that they would be seeking an appeal to the decision. He also noted their desire to have Hill placed in a "minimum security camp," fearing his history in law enforcement would otherwise put him in danger in a correctional facility.
Hill's legal team has 14 days to file that appeal. In court, the judge didn't set a date for Hill to report to prison.
More on Victor Hill
Victor Hill is widely known in metro Atlanta. He called himself “The Crime Fighter” and has used Batman imagery to promote himself on social media and in campaign ads. This was his second trial on criminal charges. Clayton County voters reelected Hill in 2012 while he was under indictment the first time, accused of using his office for personal gain. He beat those charges.
In April 2021, a 12-page federal indictment was unsealed, charging Hill with four felonies. Prosecutors argued Hill violated the civil rights of four Clayton County jail inmates in 2020. Hill was accused in the indictment of directing the inmates to be strapped into restraint chairs for hours at a time.
A new indictment was brought against Hill in March, adding two new charges to his criminal case. The first indictment listed four victims, and a first superseding indictment brought that total to five.
In one instance, a man arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at two men outside his home in Jonesboro was booked into the Clayton County Jail. When he denied the allegations against him, Hill allegedly told staffers to "put his a** in the chair," where he was left strapped for hours under the orders of Hill.
Another man was arrested at his home in Hampton for allegedly possessing drugs and illegal firearms and was "compliant and never posed a threat to anyone" upon being taken into custody, according to the indictments. When he told Hill he did not want to speak to him, the sheriff allegedly ordered him into a restraint chair and, similarly, he was left strapped there for hours.
Another alleged victim responded, "it's a democracy," when the sheriff asked him why he was in Clayton County, according to the document. He also asked twice if he was entitled to a fair and speedy trial, to which Hill allegedly replied: "You entitled to sit in this chair, and you’re entitled to get the hell out of my county and don’t come back. That’s what you’re entitled to. You sound like a d*** jacka**."
In another instance, a 17-year-old was allegedly left in the restraint chair. In one alleged incident, Hill told two detainees already strapped into restraint chairs that he would "sit your a** in that chair for sixteen hours straight" if they repeated criminal behavior.