ATLANTA, Ga. — A federal judge on Friday pushed back on emergency requests to stop the U.S. Marshals Service from keeping Northern District of Georgia pretrial detainees at a South Georgia jail about 200 miles from downtown Atlanta.
U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen heard the Federal Defender Program after it sued last week over transfers away from the Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility in Clayton County. Defense lawyers argued the long haul makes it nearly impossible to prep clients for hearings when they sit that far from the Atlanta federal courthouse.
Cohen asked several times whether he can order the Marshals not to drop their Clayton County contract, describing that jail as far from glamorous. He also noted that only one detainee so far has claimed mail trouble after the move, and he called a temporary restraining order a steep climb.
Filings in the case show nearly 400 people already housed at Irwin County Detention Center. The Marshals Service has pointed to private phone and video rooms there for lawyer talks but has not offered a full public explanation for ending the Clayton County deal, even though Irwin County has drawn past allegations about medical care.
Nathan Kitchens, the district first assistant U.S. attorney, said prosecutors will walk through Irwin County with defense counsel to test whether the Marshals are keeping the promises made in court papers. For now the transfers remain in place while the lawsuit moves forward.
The dispute lands as other South Georgia detention sites, including Folkston, face separate protests over conditions. Federal defenders say distance is the core problem for Atlanta cases, not a demand for luxury housing, and they want clients close enough for same-day attorney visits before hearings.
Section: More Savannah GA crime news
Filed under: Savannah GA Public Safety News
