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Erie County Sheriff's Office facing lawsuit over records

The Erie County Sheriff's Office is facing another lawsuit over a request for records.
Photo: Erie County Sheriff's Department/File Photo 

BUFFALO, NY-- The Erie County Sheriff's Office is facing another lawsuit over a request for records.

The National Lawyers Guild Buffalo Chapter says it is suing the Sheriff for not turning over records about suicide attempts at Erie County jails, after a request 11 months ago.

They want to force him to release them under the Freedom of Information Act and report them to the NYS Corrections Commission.

“Under Sheriff Howard’s watch, jail officials at both the Erie County Holding Center and the County Correctional Facility have been utterly unaccountable for the deadly and inhumane conditions that prisoners face,” said Nan Haynes, a member of NLG Buffalo, and former Vice Chair of the Erie County Community Corrections Advisory Board in a released statement. “The Sheriff’s Office has systematically skirted the law by refusing to report attempted suicides and other serious problems at the jails. It is a disturbing state of affairs when our law enforcement officials seek to evade the laws that apply to them,”

2 On Your Side reached out to the Erie County for a statement. The county attorney, Michael Siragusa, says he will have no comment regarding the pending litigation.

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