Judge Allows Sheriff to Seize National Guard Armory for Temporary Jail
A sheriff who seized a National Guard armory because he said there was no other place to put prisoners won the right Friday to keep a makeshift jail there for at least two weeks.
At a hearing in Hampden County Superior Court, Judge George Keady approved an interim order that was submitted by attorneys for both the county and the state.
The order allows Sheriff Michael Ashe to remain at the armory, continue cooperating with the National Guard and report back in court on March 12.
Ashe took over the armory a week ago, telling stunned brigade officials that he was empowered to seize their facility by 17th-Century statutes ordering him to keep the peace. The regular county jail was overcrowded, and the sheriff said he needed more space or he would have to start releasing inmates.
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