Federal Magistrate Exposes Systemic Destruction of Evidence in West Virginia Jail Case

A federal magistrate has recommended default judgment in a class-action lawsuit against the Southern Regional Jail in West Virginia, citing the intentional destruction of evidence by state corrections officials. The magistrate found that paper records of grievances and investigations were intentionally destroyed, and called the officials' behavior "disturbing" and "arrogant." Default judgment, if granted, would leave only the financial award to be determined. The judge's scathing order highlights the defendants' disregard for discovery rules and their failure to preserve evidence, leading to the loss of critical information concerning the well-being of individuals in custody.