James B. Moore was quoted last week in an article in The Post and Courier. He was asked to comment on the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office decision to no longer give immediate public notice of inmate deaths. Instead, the sheriff’s office will choose which deaths it reports, and after the coroner’s office investigates it and determines a cause. The sheriff will not issue public notices of deaths that occurred of natural causes.
In the article, James Moore responded to this bizarre policy decision: “It begs the questions, is this policy change designed to control the narrative and limit public scrutiny during the critical early stages following an in-custody death? I am not sure what other role it would serve. Families and the public have a right to know when someone dies in government custody — transparency shouldn’t be contingent on official determinations.”
Evans Moore, LLC works diligently on behalf of families who have lost loved ones in jails and prisons. If your family has endured this kind of tragedy, contact our attorneys to begin fighting for justice.