>>>
>>> A
>>> A JUDGE'S ORDER A .COM DeKALB COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
TO RELEASE RECORDS ON INMATES
THAT DIED AT THE INSTITUTION
CENTER.
CENTER.
CENTER. 11ALIVE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST
SHERIFF NEIL WARREN.
>> SO THE LAWSUIT ALLEGED THE
SHERIFF VIOLATED THE OPEN
RECORDS ACT BY WITHHOLDING
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS BY
MANUFACTURING A BOGUS
INVESTIGATION TO CONCEAL THOSE
RECORDS.
RECORDS.
RECORDS. ANDY PIERROTTI EXPLAINS WHY
11ALIVE REQUESTED THOSE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. >> Reporter: THE RECORDS
INVOLVE TWO INMATES WHO DIED AT
THE COUNTY JAIL MORE THAN A
YEAR AGO.
YEAR AGO.
YEAR AGO. 11ALIVE REQUESTED THE DOCUMENTS
IN AUGUST.
IN AUGUST. THE SHERIFF
THE SHERIFF BECAUSE A PRIVATE ATTORNEY WAS
CONDUCTING AN INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATION INTO THEIR
DEATHS.
DEATHS.
DEATHS. DURING A HEARING EARLIER THIS
WEEK, WE LEARNED THAT WAS NOT
EXACTLY TRUE.
EXACTLY TRUE. >> IN THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT
--
--
-- >>
-- >> THIS IS THE MAN CURRENTLY
CONDUCTING AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW
OF THE COBB COUNTY DETENTION
CENTER, PRIVATE ATTORNEY,
NATHAN WADE.
NATHAN WADE. >> OUR MISSION WAS TO CONDUCT
AN INTERCESSION EVERY REVIEW ON
CASES
CASES
CASES AT
CASES AT THE JAIL, USE OF FORCE AT
THE JAIL AND RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION.
DISCRIMINATION. >> Reporter: IN JUNE, COBB
COUNTY SHERIFF NEIL WARREN
ASKED WHAT HE COULD DO AFTER A
SERIES OF DEATH AT THE JAIL.
FIVE MONTHS INTO HIS WORK HE
HAD LITTLE TO SHARE WITH
11ALIVE ATTORNEY DEREK BAUER
WHEN ASKED WHERE HIS ASSESSMENT
STANDS.
STANDS.
STANDS. THIS WAS MONDAY AFTERNOON.
SO YOU DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE
RECORD IN YOUR POSSESSION
ASSOCIATED WITH
ASSOCIATED WITH ASSESSMENT YOU HAVE BEEN
ENGAGED TO UNDERTAKE?
>> I DO NOT.
>> Reporter: DOES YOUR LAW FIRM?
>> NO, SIR.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS HE IS
REVIEWING FIVE YEARS WORTH OF
JAIL DEATHS FREE OF CHARGE.
HE CLAIMS HE HAS REVIEWED
HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTS INVOLVING
AT LEAST 12 INMATES FATALITIES
SO FAR WHICH INCLUDED RE-
INTERVIEWING DEPUTIES BUT HE
DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE NOTE OR
RECORD TO SHARE.
AS YOUR REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT
FOR THE COBB COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE STANDS TODAY, YOU HAVE NO
PRODUCT WHATSOEVER ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT UNDERTAKING, CORRECT?
I HAVE WORD PRODUCT BUT IT IS
NOT IN THE FORM OF DOCUMENTS
COMMUNICATIONS OR RECORD
MEMORIALIZING REFLECTING
MEMORIALIZING REFLECTING EVIDENCE OR RELATING TO THE WORK
AS YOU HAVE POINTED HERE.
>> WELL WHAT WORK PRODUCT YOU
HAVE?
HAVE?
HAVE? >>
HAVE? >> I HAVE OBVIOUSLY MY
BRAINCHILD, MY WHAT IS GOING ON
IN MY MIND ABOUT IT.
THAT IS WHAT I HAVE PICKED
>> Reporter: YOU HEARD THAT
RIGHT BUT THE WORK HE HAS
PRODUCED OVER THE PAST 123 DAYS
ALL IN HIS BRAIN AND WHEN HE
DID USE PAPER TO DOCUMENT HIS
FINDINGS?
FINDINGS?
FINDINGS? HE THREW IT AWAY.
>> I GOT DONE WITH IT DID,
DISTORTED AND WALKED OUT.
>> OKAY SO WHEN YOU DID TAKE
NOTES, YOU DESTROY THEM WHEN
YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THE
INTERVIEW?
INTERVIEW? >> YES, HERE IN THE SHERIFFS
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >> Reporter: TWO OF THOSE
DEATHS INCLUDE
DEATHS INCLUDE WILSON AND BRADLEY EMERY.
BOTH CASE FILES WERE CLOSED
LAST YEAR BUT WHEN 11ALIVE
ASKED FOR THEIR RECORDS IN
AUGUST, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY
ROW, "SHERIFF WARREN REQUESTED
AN INDEPENDENT LAW FIRM
INVESTIGATE CIRCUMSTANCES
INVESTIGATE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE INMATE DEATHS."
THAT WOULD BE MR. WADE AND THAT
LAW ALLOWS THE AGENCY TO
WITHHOLD RECORD REST UNTIL THE
CONCLUSION OF HIS
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. THERE IS JUST ONE PROBLEM.
WADE ADMITS HE IS NOT DOING A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT ALL.
>> WHATEVER IT IS, IT IS NOT A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION,
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, CORRECT?
CORRECT?
CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> Reporter: 11ALIVE FILED A
LAWSUIT AGAINST SHERIFF WARREN
IN SEPTEMBER CLAIMING HE WAS
VIOLATING STATE LAW BY
WITHHOLDING PUBLIC TO JAIL
RECORDS AND THAT WADE'S
INVESTIGATION IS ILLUSIONARY
AND AN EFFORT TO SHIELD
THOUSANDS OF PUBLIC AND
POTENTIALLY DAMAGING RECORDS
FROM DISCLOSURE IN AN ELECTION
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. SHERIFF WARREN IS RUNNING FOR
REELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, COBB
COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE,
GREGORY POOLE ORDERED THE
SHERIFF TO RELEASE THE RECORDS
TO 11ALIVE.
TO 11ALIVE. ANDY, THE SHERIFF AND
ORIGINALLY DENIED PROVIDING ANY
RECORDS FOR THESE TWO INMATES
FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION YOU
PRODUCED ABOUT THE DETENTION
CENTER JUST BEFORE, RIGHT?
>> RON, THAT IS CORRECT.
IN AUGUST, I OUR REVEAL
INVESTIGATIVE TEEN UNCOVERED
2019 VIDEOS OF AN INMATE
SEEKING DEADLY MEDICAL HELP AND
COULD NOT DREAM BRIEF FOR OURS
BUT INSTEAD OF SENDING HIM TO
THE HOSPITAL, JAIL STAFF PUT
HIM IN A PADDED ROOM WHERE HE
DIED.
DIED.
DIED. THE
DIED. THE SHERIFF CONTINUED TO PROVIDE
JAIL DEATH RECORDS BUT STOPPED
AFTER WE PUBLISHED OUR
INVESTIGATION INTO WINKLE'S
DEATH.
DEATH.
DEATH. TODAY'S RULING IS A BIG WIN FOR
THE PUBLIC'S