Dallas County Fights State Over Release of Jail Death Reports

Dallas County is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton because the county doesn't want to release records related to the death of a man who was handcuffed in the jail lobby. Joseph Hutcheson died Aug. 1, 2015 after being subdued on the floor by sheriff's detention officers in the Dallas County Jail lobby. He had run inside asking for help and yelling that his wife was trying to kill him, so officers restrained him to prevent harm to anyone, officials said at the time. Scott Palmer, an attorney for his family, requested extensive records under the Texas Public Information Act. Among the records requested were: the six involved officers' personnel records, the department's standard operating procedures and the complete criminal investigative file.   Continue reading...