Trial Date Set for Two Former Correctional Officers Indicted for Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Violations in Connection with Jail-Beating in Monroe, Louisiana

MONROE, LA—A June 21, 2010 trial date has been set for former correctional officers Kenneth Lamar Dennis and Derome Sanchez Proctor who were indicted on October 30, 2009, by a federal grand jury for charges stemming from the beating of an inmate at Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, La., and an attempt to cover-up the incident, United States Attorney Donald W. Washington announced today.

Dennis, 53, of West Monroe, La., was charged with one count of depriving another person of civil rights under color of law, which involved the use of a dangerous weapon and resulted in bodily injury; one count of obstruction of justice by falsifying a report; and two counts of false statements by lying to federal investigators about the incident. If convicted, Dennis faces a maximum punishment of 10 years for the civil rights count, 20 years for the obstruction of justice count, and five years for each of the false statements counts.

Proctor, 26, of Anticoch, Ten., was charged with one count of obstruction of justice by falsifying a report, one count of false statements by lying to federal investigators about the incident, and one count of perjury before the grand jury. If convicted, Proctor faces a maximum punishment of 20 years for the obstruction of justice count and five years each for the false statements and perjury counts.

According to the indictment, on Nov. 5, 2004, Dennis, then a major with the Richwood Correctional Center, tasered and repeatedly kicked an inmate without legal justification. Following the incident, Dennis and Proctor, then a sergeant with the Richwood Correctional Center, each wrote reports in which they falsified a legitimate rationale for Dennis’ use of force, claiming that Dennis tasered the inmate after the inmate attempted to kick Dennis. Dennis and Proctor lied to federal investigators and, in the case of Proctor, to the grand jury, about the incident.

This case was investigated by the FBI. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Erin Aslan from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.