Justice Administration fires two employees after the discovery of lost evidence in Southern Regional Jail lawsuit

Oak Hill, WV (WOAY) –The Justice administration has fired a top official in the corrections system and the lead attorney in the Department of Homeland Security. 

Brad Douglas, the former interim corrections commissioner and executive officer of the jails system, and Phil Sword, chief counsel for the Homeland Security Agency, have been terminated from their positions. 

The terminations follow U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar Aboulhosn’s comments, blasting the handling of potential evidence in a class action lawsuit against Raleigh County’s Southern Regional Jail (SRJ). 

The lawsuit against SRJ was filed last year on behalf of current and former inmates, who say that the facility’s conditions are inhumane.

State officials report discovering evidence previously reported as lost or destroyed that allegedly refers to five years’ worth of inmate grievances that were supposed to be retained.

Judge Aboulhosn says it defies logic that the loss of both digital and physical evidence would be anything but intentional and recommended a default judgment in the case.

During his regular briefing, Governor Jim Justice stated, ” State workers should lose their jobs or even be subject to criminal charges if they were responsible for destroying a range of potential evidence in a federal lawsuit over condition at Southern Regional Jail.”